Why is a manhole cover round instead of square? Does a short, fat cylinder or a long, thin one hold more popcorn? How many Fridays fall on the 13th during a calendar year?
Those are some of the intriguing math challenges for middle school students that are part of a Web-based campaign called Figure This! The colorful, animated site (at www.figurethis.org) is geared toward helping kids and parents enjoy mathematics outside of school and showing them that today’s math is more than just formulas and figures.
Johnny Lott, a University of Montana professor and past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), says many adults are unsure of their own mathematical abilities and they pass on that math anxiety to their children. He observes, “My parents were only educated in high school but I never, ever heard them say, ‘I can’t do math.’ Now, that’s a common statement and that has to have an influence on kids.”
Lott says the 80 problems on the Figure This! site were created by NCTM and its partners to help change public perceptions about mathematics and to engage families in fun math activities at home. “They’re not normal textbook problems but ones that let the family know that this is the math kids are faced with [now]. It doesn’t mean you don’t have to know the basics to do them, but it at least opens the door a crack to say, ‘Here are some math problems in today’s world that your kids are going to face. How about talking about them?’”
As the Figure This! Web site points out, citizens today need more than basic computation and rote mathematical skills in our complex, technologically dependent society. “They must master the higher-level concepts and approaches to problem solving that are key to success in work and everyday life.”
For example, to answer the popcorn challenge, a student would make visual estimates and find out the volumes of different containers. Those are the same skills that engineers and designers use to find economical ways to package and protect consumer goods. Directions on how to go about solving the problem are included on the Web site, which was funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.
In case you’re wondering, the short cylinder holds more popcorn than the tall one, and a manhole cover is round because a square one could turn on its side and fall through the hole in the street. As for the number of Friday the 13ths in a year, you’ll just have to go to www.figurethis.org to find the answer!
This column by Rhonda Barton is provided as a public service by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, a nonprofit institution working with schools and communities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
| Index |
|
This document's URL is: Home | Up & Coming | Programs & Projects | People | Products & Publications: Parents: Let's Talk | Topics © 2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Date of Last Update: 07/12/2005  |