Month:

What is the shape of the traffic bollard?

  • September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, rapidly brainstorms a series of questions about the traffic bollards on an urban street. He illustrates for us that the math and STEM-related questions we can ask about everyday objects are almost endless and that it's a lot of fun to ask these questions in our everyday lives!... CONTINUE READING

Can Math Help Grass Grow?

  • September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, rapidly brainstorms a series of questions about the grasses he notices in the planters outside a building on a busy street. He illustrates for us that the math and STEM-related questions we can ask about everyday objects are almost endless and that it’s a lot of fun to ask these questions in our everyday lives!... CONTINUE READING

Where are the circles?

  • September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, notices the repeating motif of circles in the design of the Cathedral Guadeloupe. He highlights the intersection between geometry and architecture by making observations about the use of circles within circles and symmetrical arrangements in the traditional architecture of the church. Dr. Whitney illustrates for us that the math and STEM-related observations we can make about everyday places around... CONTINUE READING

What shapes are in the Geodome?

  • September 9

Elementary students in the after school club came up with ideas for a math walk around their campus. In this math walk stop, they explore the geodome structure on their playground through their math lens. Research conducted during this semester-long afterschool club led to this research paper: Wang, M., Walkington, C., & Dhingra, K. (2021). Facilitating Student-Created Math Walks, Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 114(9), 670-676. Retrieved Sep 17, 2021, from... CONTINUE READING

What’s the Really Big Number here?

  • September 9

Elementary students in the after school club came up with ideas for a math walk around their campus. In this math walk stop, they explore the hallway leading to the school cafeteria through their math lens. Research conducted during this semester-long afterschool club led to this research paper: Wang, M., Walkington, C., & Dhingra, K. (2021). Facilitating Student-Created Math Walks, Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 114(9), 670-676. Retrieved Sep 17, 2021, from... CONTINUE READING

Similar Triangles or Not?

  • September 9

What are similar triangles and how can we tell if triangles are similar or if they are not? Students and faculty from CityLab High School, Dallas ISD join us on a beautiful day at Fair Park, an architectural treasure trove in the city of Dallas to explore this question using the sights of the Esplanade. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How Fast Can You Go?

  • September 9

Whether you’re at Fair Park or even driving around certain parts of Dallas, it’s hard to miss the towering site of the Texas Star Ferris Wheel! After all, it’s the largest Ferris wheel in the United States. As you’re watching it turn, there are lots of things you might wonder about, but if you’re like us, one of the first that comes to mind is: How fast is your gondola whisking through the air when you ride it? Join students and faculty from Greenhill School in exploring this question.... CONTINUE READING

How Far Can We See?

  • September 9

The Texas Star is a ferris wheel that has delighted many families from 1985 onward. As one of the tallest such structures in North America, we wonder, exactly how far can you see from the top? Students and faculty from Greenhill School created this walk stop and contributed this content for all to enjoy! Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How long is the spiral?

  • September 9

A high school student at Hockaday School created a campus STEM walk for elementary students to enjoy. In this walk stop she explores a spiral artwork on campus and invites children to estimate the length of the spiral using their math detective skills.... CONTINUE READING

How does the pendulum move?

  • September 9

A high school student at Hockaday School created a campus STEM walk for elementary students to enjoy. In this walk stop, she looks at the large pendulum the school is fortunate enough to have.... CONTINUE READING