Distance Learning for Math Teachers
GENERAL MATH
(Including gridding, ratios, percent, area, etc.)
Cleveland Museum of Art:
"Math Connections in Art: Gridding"
Students will be introduced to the work of American painter and printmaker Chuck Close
and will also learn to apply math concepts and skills used by the artist to transfer
photographic images to another working surface. Beginning with photos of themselves,
students will measure, grid and reproduce their portrait into a painting or pencil rendering
which may be finished later at home or in the classroom. Concepts such as ratio, percent,
and area are reinforced. This is a four-part series consisting of an introduction to Chuck
Close, two hands-on in-classroom sessions in which the CMA presenter guides students
through gridding their photographs and producing self portraits, and a final session to
discuss the students' artwork and assess comprehension of math concepts. Grades 7-10.
Indianapolis Museum of Art:
On the Wall: Drawing on Math
The Museum hired a world-famous artist to solve a big art problem at the Indianapolis
Museum of Art, and he used math to do it! Students work to figure out the process.
Liberty Science Center:
"E-Trail"
An E-Trail presents a design challenge to your students with a series of
connections that explore science content through LSC's resources. Teacher packet
includes a pre-visit activity, suggestions for completing the challenge and
extensions for further study. Have them write about it, draw it, or build it. You
decide. They can even present their completed challenges to LSC.
"Create a Fractional Mural"
Shapes, colors, lines, materials and textures. All these elements are used in many art
forms. Even various mathematical concepts are used in works of art. One such concept is
fractions. Ancient civilizations used the concept of the golden rectangle in their
buildings; The height and width of buildings had a specific fractional ratio which made
them visually appealing to the observer. What is a fraction? A fraction is a part of
something. A fraction doesn’t stand alone. We need to know the whole to understand its
parts. But what if we took the fractions of many different objects and combined them?
We’d create yet another object. What would it look like? Your Challenge is to collect
interesting fractions and create a mural. Arrange these fractions to produce something
new.
9/8/2005
page 1
Distance Learning for Math Teachers
NASA – Digital Learning Network:
"Mathematics: Science of Numbers"
Grade Level: 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16
Focus Question: Why is interpreting results so important in research and science?
Description: At NASA we are required to solve theoretical problems and to interpret the
results. The solving of problems involves TECHNIQUE. The INTERPRETATION of
results involves CONCEPT, a type of understanding similar to that required for
interpreting a language. This lesson focuses on concept and interpretation. It begins with
comments on the nature of mathematics and the reasons why interpreting results is
important in research and science. Practice in interpretation of results includes
understanding the concept of the magnitude of light speed. Additional materials and the
PowerPoint presentation are available from the following link: Mathematics: Science of
Numbers
Instructional Overview:
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of using technique to solve problems.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of using concepts to interpret results.
"Ratios and Proportions: Discussions with Wilbur Wright"
Grade Level: 5-8,9-12
Focus Question: What is a ratio? How do engineers use ratios and proportions? What are
some real world examples of ratios and proportions in aerospace?
Description: Aeronautical engineers use ratios and proportions every day. The very first
aeronautical engineers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, used ratios and proportions to design
and test their aircraft. During this event, Wilbur Wright demonstrates some of the ratios
and proportions that he used in the early 1900's, as well as ratios that are used by modern
engineers.
The Ratios and Proportions event demonstrates real world applications of math and
physics principles as applied to aerodynamics. It shows participants why they "have to
learn" graphing, problem-solving using fractions or decimals, scientific notation, and
ratios and proportions.
Presentations are prepared in collaboration with the requesting teacher to re-enforce
topics being taught in the classroom. At the teacher's discretion, the presentation can be
delivered by the "ghost" of Wilbur Wright.
Instructional Overview:
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of ratio and proportion.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the use of ratio and proportion by
engineers.
9/8/2005
page 2
Distance Learning for Math Teachers
NASA – Digital Learning Network:
“Scaling the Cosmos”
This presentation takes the audience on an interactive voyage through cosmic space and
time and seeks to reveal the vast extent of the cosmos through scaling. The emphasis is
on numerical model building, how it can help our understanding, and how it can reveal
limitations in our ability to ever truly grasp things on a cosmic scale. Four episodes are
included:
•
•
•
•
the Earth-Moon system
the solar system
the cosmos
geological time.
The session is necessarily interactive. The audience is challenged to make remarks,
ask questions, and perform actual calculations for the models presented. The author
and class then discuss their solutions. The presentation can be geared to specific grade
levels.
Rutgers - Camden Center for the Arts:
“Mathematical Visions - Secondary Level”
Various works of visual art are effectively used to illustrate mathematical
concepts at a more advanced level than that of the primary level class. Designed
for grades 7 - 12.
“Points of Perspective”
How do artists create the illusion of a three-dimensional world on a twodimensional canvas? By using mathematics! The D’ARTS teacher uses works of
visual art to give students an effective way of understanding various spatial
systems employed by visual artists including linear and atmospheric perspective,
scale, and proportion. Designed for grades 5 - 12. Offered March - April 2006.
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center:
"Scale: Measuring Nature"
Students will explore the concept of scale, as it applies to nature. Using the
Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding environment as a practical base, students
will look at the various parts of the ecosystem and explore how we use math to
assess and quantify seemingly abstract relationships. Students will investigate
the geological time scale, biomagnification of toxins in marine populations, the
pH scale, the Richter scale, and other ways that humans attempt to measure
nature. Students will learn about the mathematical concepts of "powers of ten"
9/8/2005
page 3
Distance Learning for Math Teachers
and logarithms. They will practice building scales or "rulers" that allow them to
speak concretely about previously undefined relationships in the natural world.
9/8/2005
page 4
Distance Learning for Math Teachers
GEOMETRY
Cleveland Museum of Art:
"Tessellation Exploration"
What is the difference between a regular tessellation and a semi-pure tessellation? Where
does the term "tessellation" originate, and what is the sum of angles around one vertex in
a tessellation of the plane by polygons? Treat your class to an art-filled math experience
using museum objects and patterned surfaces to explore different math concepts about
tessellations and polygons. Students are introduced to a mummy case, an Islamic prayer
niche, an Escher print and other works while learning to identify various tessellations
using a viewing guide included in the Teacher Information Packet, which accompanies
the videoconference. Designed for grades 9 - 12.
Liberty Science Center:
"Geometry in Nature"
Objectives:
• To explore different types of symmetry.
• To investigate the basic concepts of fractal geometry.
• To discover and identify the geometry in nature.
Exhibit Description:
LSC’s Stream Table is an interactive exhibit that enables guests to experiment with the
effects of erosion.
Guests manipulate water and a soil substitute, Plastigrit (recycled lunch trays), to model
river systems and observe the patterns that emerge.
Terms to Know: bilateral symmetry, rotational symmetry, translational symmetry
Activity: Sierpinski Triangle
Fractal geometry looks at shapes that repeat themselves at any scale on which they are
examined. Still confused? Try creating one with us.
9/8/2005
page 5
Distance Learning for Math Teachers
MATH AND SCIENCE
Challenger Learning Center, Wheeling W. VA:
e-Mission "Space Station Alpha" is an innovative way to engage students with math
and science in real-life situations. During the mission, students connect live with a flight
director at the Challenger Learning Center in Wheeling, WV. With the help of computers,
the Internet and a small video camera, students interact with Mission Control to track the
solar storm, monitor orbital position, predict radiation levels, study oxygen levels and
divert power to life support systems.
Students assisting the Space Station astronauts join one of four teams:
• STORM Team: Solar Tracking and Orbital Monitoring
• Radiation Team: Radiation monitoring and shielding
• Life Support: Environmental monitoring and astronaut health
• Mission Operations: Electronics systems and power generation
To participate in a mission, students must first complete classroom activities to
demonstrate their knowledge of science and math. On mission day, students serve as
specialists to examine data, analyze it, and make their recommendations to Mission
Control. Grades: 9-12
"e-Mission: Operation Montserrat Island"
Operation Montserrat Island, a new electronic mission, connects a flight director at the
Challenger Learning Center (CLC) in Wheeling, West Virginia with a classroom
anywhere in the world for a unique learning adventure. With the help of computers, the
Internet and a small video camera, students interact with the flight director in Wheeling
to track the hurricane, predict volcanic rock fall and determine how these conditions will
impact the island’s air, land, water and vegetation.
Operation Montserrat Island allows students to participate as Earth systems science
experts. Student specialists will be members on the volcano, hurricane or communication
teams during the two-hour electronic mission. Operation Montserrat Island engages
students to work as scientists in order to solve problems in real-life situations. Students
will be called up to determine:
What impact will wind and falling ash from the volcano have on plant life?
How far is the hurricane from the island?
Should residents be evacuated and, if so, what are the possible routes?
The mission challenges students to apply their mathematics and science knowledge to a
real-life event.
Prior to the mission, teachers participate in two days of training to acquaint them with the
mission. They leave the training with a pre-flight curriculum for the students designed
for incorporation into daily lesson plans three weeks prior to the mission.
LENGTH: 120 minutes. GRADES: 6 – 12
9/8/2005
page 6
Distance Learning for Math Teachers
NASA – Digital Learning Network:
"Forces in Flight"
Grade Level: 5-8,9-12
Focus Question: What is a force? What are the forces that act on a flying object? How
does the object respond to the action of the forces?
Description: The event demonstrates real world applications of math and physics
principles as applied to the forces acting on an object in flight. It shows participants why
they "have to learn" graphing, problem-solving using fractions or decimals, scientific
notation, trigonometry, geometry, algebra, and vectors and Newton's Laws of
Motion. Presentations are prepared in collaboration with the requesting teacher to reenforce what is being taught in the classroom.
Instructional Overview:
- Students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion.
- Students will identify the forces that act on an object in flight.
"Have You Looked at Your Calendar Lately?"
Grade Level: 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16
Focus Question: How has the calendar evolved, how has it been influenced by mythology
and astronomy, and how have the mathematics of the calendar developed?
Description: Have you ever taken a careful look at your pocket calendar? You might be
amazed at just how much history, mythology, mathematics, and astronomy you would
find there! For example, names of the days come from Norse and Teutonic sources. The
month names come from Ancient Rome. Mars plays a significant and somewhat
surprising role in calendar etymology. Astronomically, the calendar was long in coming
in the Western world. Acquiring an accurate measure for the length of the tropical year
by observation was no easy task and involved at least two major reforms over the
millennia. Additional materials and the PowerPoint presentation are available at the
following link: Have You Looked at Your Calendar Lately?
Instructional Overview: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the evolution of
the calendar and the part mathematics has played in its development.
9/8/2005
page 7
Distance Learning for Math Teachers
FAMOUS MATHEMATICIANS
Historically Speaking:
A first person characterization:
"Galileo"
Early 17th century Renaissance man. Mathematics, Science, Astronomy. Designed for
grades 6 - 12.
9/8/2005
page 8