Month:

What is the Artist’s Favorite Ratio?

• September 9

Renzo Piano, the architect who designed the stunning Nasher Sculpture Center, had a favorite ratio that becomes a repeating motif in the design and the measurements of the building. How can we figure it out? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, as he (together with a group of friends) takes some quick measurements to figure this out. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are... CONTINUE READING

How Many Different Ways Can You Count?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, admires the modern structure of a high rise building in the Arts District and highlights the fact that there are many different ways to look at a mathematical problem. These methods may include: decomposition of the larger area into smaller rectangular areas and finding the larger area and then subtracting the areas of each rectangular array. He illustrates these methods by observing the windows on... CONTINUE READING

How Can we Estimate Really Tall Things We Can’t Reach?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, uses the mathematical properties of rectangles to help him measure the width of louvers that are extremely high us. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talkstem-activity-guides/ Support for these guides w... CONTINUE READING

How Many People Can Fit on the Observation Deck?

• September 9

At Camp Whispering Cedars, Girl Scouts climb a winding series of steps to reach the top of an observation deck, where they can stargaze or have meetings. We wonder how they might estimate exactly how many people could have fun stargazing sleepover party on the deck! Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/tal... CONTINUE READING

What is the Slope of this Staircase?

• September 9

We explore how to use slope, the ratio of height to horizontal distance, to better understand how stairs are designed based on international building codes to keep us safe. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talkstem-activity-guides/ We invite all interested groups to reach out and find more informat... CONTINUE READING

What is the Highest Point on the Swing?

• September 9

Scouts love visiting Camp Whispering Cedars for its amazing ropes course – great for bonding and pushing new boundaries! The course features a zip line, ropes bridge, climbing wall, and a towering three-person swing. The swing made us wonder – exactly how high is someone pulled to start the swing? In order to figure this out, we use shadows and similar triangles. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

What Size is the Sports Field?

• September 9

We visited the Staubach Sports Field to determine if other teams could use the field for a regulation sports game. We use non-standard units of measurement, like arm span, to estimate the length of the field. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talkstem-activity-guides/ We invite all interested groups... CONTINUE READING

What Volume of Water can the Rain Barrels Hold?

• September 9

At the Crystal Charity Ball Exploration Center at Camp Whispering Cedars, where Girl Scouts can marvel at plants growing on the building, you might notice from the video that the roof is sloped. Gravity pulls rainwater toward the front of the building, where the water falls into the gutters. From the gutters, the water is moved to plastic rain barrels, at the corners of the building. What an amazing example of sustainability and conservation efforts at work! We consider exactly how many toilet f... CONTINUE READING

How Big is the Pool?

• September 9

Ever look into a pool and think, “Wow – that’s a lot of water!” This thought prompted us to consider exactly how many showers one could take using water in the pool at Camp Whispering Cedars. We started by measuring the surface area and perimeter of the pool before determining volume, using the formula, Volume=(Area)(Height). You’ll be amazed at what we discovered! Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How Many People Fit on a 737 Plane?

• September 9

We wonder what the maximum number of people is that could fit on board the 737 people we are walking through at the museum? How can we come up with a good estimate? We use number arrays to come up with our estimate and walk you through our thinking. Supplementary Activity Guides to extend student learning at the Frontiers of Flight Museum for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING