Month:

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

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’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

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 are Fractals?

  • September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, notices the beautiful, glossy leaves of the magnolia leaves that he walks by on this tour and call out the math pattern of the veins in the leaves. This fractal pattern, where the shape repeats itself but at a progressively smaller scale is common in nature and is a fascinating, relatively new field in mathematics. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grad... CONTINUE READING

What’s the Scale?

  • September 9

The giant mosaic North Texas Sunrise depicts many native texan flowers, all far larger than life. Using a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet paper as a measuring device, we calculate how much larger the mosaic flowers are than the real thing, determining the scale of the artwork. This video was supported by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How do you use scale to read a map?

  • September 9

Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to use a map and found objects to determine the scale of the map. You can try this strategy with any 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

What’s the farthest distance between 2 points on the map?

  • September 9

Does it ever seem like you parked at a store that is farthest away from the store you want? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover how to determine what the farthest points are within NorthPark Center. 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:... 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

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