Month:

Is there a mathematical pattern to the way that penguins use their nests in South Africa?

  • September 9

The guano that African penguins use as a nesting resource has depleted in recent years; alternate nesting methods, including man-made artificial nests, are being tested out at Dallas Zoo. To track how well these nests work, the amount of eggs laid month by month must be compared to that of natural nests. Analysis of these patterns is valuable information for helping these penguins continue to survive! This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2... CONTINUE READING

Is it possible to measure an animal’s behavior?

  • September 9

Animals have a wide varieties of behaviors, many of which can be difficult to analyze. To make animal behavior research easier, scientists use ethograms - tables of possible behaviors that they can check off as the observation goes on. The ethogram used by zoo employees to study their elephants is discussed, and ways of making use of and presenting that data investigated. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings... CONTINUE READING

How can we estimate the amount of produce in a garden?

  • September 9

In order grow plants efficiently, making certain estimations is valuable - how well plants will grow, how much produce each plant will give use, or, even more fundamentally, how many plants we can fit in a given plot of land. Taking information we know about marigolds as an example, we showcase ways to determine these sorts of important predictions. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or re... CONTINUE READING

How many angles can you find using the angle-a-tron?

  • September 9

High school members of the Women in STEM club in Greenhill School stop at the playground on their math walk to share some math with the second graders. There are angles all around us on our campus, including in the branches of the trees, and the walls of our buildings. How can we use our angle-a-tron tool to measure some of them? What can we learn about the different angles around us? You can freely print the shapefinder tool as well as the angle-a-tron tool onto an acetate using this pdf:... CONTINUE READING

How does environment affect a building?

  • September 9

The Dallas Holocaust Museum is striking in its appearance and we used our STEM lens during our recent visit to appreciate its design. This video was supported by City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs.... CONTINUE READING

What is the speed of the water?

  • September 9

Ronald Kirk Bridge is a pedestrian bridge over the Trinity River in Dallas, connecting downtown Dallas and West Dallas. It is over 2,000 feet long and 60 feet wide. At the Ronald Kirk Bridge, the talkSTEM team found a natural whirlpool in the Trinity River. The video explores a strategy for estimating the speed of water. What other strategies could you use to measure the speed of a liquid? What about objects traveling through air instead of water? At talkSTEM, we know that math isn't always perf... CONTINUE READING