Month:

Bois D’arc Tree at Twelve Hills Nature Science Center

  • February 24

Estimation and measurements help us understand aspects of measuring space between thorns on the Dois D'arc tree. We asked the question at the Twelve Hills Nature Science Center to show different ways to estimate and measure.  This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of... CONTINUE READING

Recipe Ratios: Which recipe uses more chiles?

  • September 9

When using recipes, determining how much of each ingredient is needed is an important task - particularly if you're making an amount different than what the recipe directly instructs! By looking at two different recipes for salsa, and using ratios and unit conversions to make them more easily comparable, we can begin to determine how much of these wonderful garden ingredients we'd need to use for each dish. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant... CONTINUE READING

What geometric patterns can we identify on a leaf?

  • September 9

A mathematical pattern is any sort of repeated property - something occurs frequently in nature! Taking a look at magnolias in particular, we identify branching patterns in leaf veins, and their degree of sub-level repetition. This allows us to understand various geometric concepts. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s)... CONTINUE READING

How many students fit in the chapel while observing social distancing regulations?

  • September 9

Students from St. Philip's School & Community Center on a math walk stop at the school chapel. They wonder what the maximum number of people is that could fit in this space given social distancing protocols during the Covid pandemic? They use the patterns on the carpet, and some simple estimation strategies to answer their question. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations... CONTINUE READING

What’s the Scale Factor used in the Blueprint for the Welcome Center?

  • September 9

Students from St. Philip's School & Community Center on a math walk stop at the newly constructed Welcome Center at their school. They wonder what the scale factor was that was used to build the space as the builders went from blueprint to real space? This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily refle... CONTINUE READING

What’s the biggest store?

  • September 9

Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to best estimate which store is largest, given a map. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. 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/... CONTINUE READING

How does the artist represent infinity?

  • September 9

This video is part 3 of 3 videos visiting the artwork, This Land is Your Land in NorthPark Center. What is infinity? How did the artists create infinity for the viewer? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how the artist created the sense of infinity in the piece, This Land Is Your Land, in NorthPark Center. Can you see other examples of infinity around you? This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video... CONTINUE READING

How can a mirror help you play with symmetry?- This Land Is Your Land

  • September 9

This video is part 2 of 3 videos visiting the artwork, This Land is Your Land in NorthPark Center. Mirrors can create fun optical illusions if positioned in specific ways. Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to use a mirror to play with symmetry, and see how the artist used this in This Land Is Your Land. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels... CONTINUE READING

How is the artwork different from a water tower? – This Land Is Your Land

  • September 9

This video is part 1 of 3 visiting the artwork, This Land is Your Land in NorthPark Center. Artist reference the real world all the time when creating artwork. Can your brain determine the differences between a sculpture and the real object? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to determine the differences between artwork and objects in the real world. You can try this at home with any artwork! What differences do you see? This video was suppo... CONTINUE READING

What’s the distance around the mall?

  • September 9

If you walked around the whole NorthPark Center, how far would you have walked? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to estimate how far you've traveled using a map. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talks... CONTINUE READING