Advanced calculus is one thing, but a bigger math problem for
teachers is getting young students interested in a sometimes
foreign concept: Math can be fun.
Morgan Hill – Advanced calculus is one thing, but a bigger math problem for teachers is getting young students interested in a sometimes foreign concept: Math can be fun.
“The biggest challenges are to get (students) past whatever intimidation or fear they have of math and also keep them interested in a subject some of them do have real anxiety about,” said Mary Lastra, who teaches math to sixth, seventh- and eighth-graders at Charter School Morgan Hill.
On Sunday, the renowned American Institute of Mathematics offered a solution. It sponsored its second annual Math Mardi Gras at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center on Monterey Road.
Lastra and about 300 other people were drawn in by the science-fair-like atmosphere. Most participants were Morgan Hill children and their parents. They enjoyed booths with logic problems, friendly competitions for parents and students acting as teams and prizes ranging from gift certificates to Fry’s Electronics to an iPod Nano.
Kids tracking their performance at age-appropriate math games had a chance to become “kings” and “queens” of the festival. A Rubik’s cube competition pitted speedy opponents against the clock as the audience cheered. A math jeopardy game, fashioned after the popular TV game show, entertained young contestants who buzzed in their answers to word problems. A sudoku contest encouraged parents and children to work together to organize numbers.
It all added up to an enjoyable celebration of mathematics.
“Anything that attracts youngsters to mathematics is welcome, I think,” said Hidefumi Katsuura, a math professor at San Jose State University who occupied a table with handcrafted, three-dimensional wooden puzzles for young problem solvers. “These types of hands-on puzzles are really fun … and these kinds of old-fashioned toys are kind of neglected. I really like to encourage people to enjoy these.”
A separate room for second- and third-graders showcased numbers, shapes and quantities at a mellower pace. Older students manned the booths and were friendly role models, handing out advice and pieces of candy.
“I like watching younger people learn how to do their math, because I always liked math,” said 13-year-old Joey Cassiba, an eighth grader studying algebra at Britton Middle School. Cassiba was in charge of the “Mind Benders” station, which featured logic puzzles. “I like problems that are tricky and take time to think about it,” he added.
Ten-year-old Justin Lyle, one of last year’s “kings,” expressed excitement after winning his first round of math jeopardy.
“I’ve done pretty good today,” said Lyle, a Charter School Morgan Hill fourth-grader. “I tried math jeopardy and I won that. Last year I was afraid to do it.”
Morgan Hill resident Kristin Georgi said she was happy to find activities that reflected everyday life.
“My girls play pool, so when they saw how angles of reflection work, they knew ‘I can become a better pool player,’ ” Georgi said. “I think they’ve done a good job with that with some of the challenges.”
American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) Director Brian Conrey said it’s easy to find joy in math if creativity’s involved.
“You don’t need to know calculus to play Rubik’s cube,” said Conrey. “You just need to get a feel for how it’s organized … and it’s very mathematical. We try to emphasize that here. There’s really a fun side to math.”
Internationally known AIM launched its Math Mardi Gras festival last year to engage the public in math. The institution is currently moving from temporary digs in Palo Alto to a 167,000-square-foot building in Morgan Hill. The $50 million building is under construction on Foothill Boulevard and AIM hopes to host its first conference there in Fall 2009. Founded by Silicon Valley businessmen John Fry and Steve Sorenson, AIM draws cutting-edge scholars from around the world and funds research in the field of mathematics. The institute’s outreach efforts in Morgan Hill also include a math-enrichment program for sixth, seventh and eighth graders called Math Counts.
“We want to engage the community as much as we can,” Conrey said. “When we’ve got our new building here, we want people to come visit. We want classes to take field trips to see what it’s like to do mathematics.”
Who knows? Perhaps the next Albert Einstein will be carrying a Rubik’s cube in his or her backpack.
MATH MARDI GRAS WINNERS
Math Jeopardy:
Alex Holmstrom, 3rd grade, Jackson Elementary
Tara McLaughlin, 5th grade, Paradise Valley
Mark Holmstrom, 6th grade, Jackson Elementary
Bryant Gamboa, 8th grade, Valley Christian
Sudoku:
Alex Holmstrom, 3rd grade, Jackson Elementary
Dave Holmstrom, dad
SET: Maggie Luu, 8th grade, Martin Murphy Middle School
Rubik’s Cube:
Alvin To, 9th grade, Live Oak High School
Kings:
Cameron Kim, 3rd grade, Jackson Elementary School
Alex Schnorr, 5th grade, Charter School MH
Mark Holmstrom, 6th grade, Jackson Elementary
Queens:
Kiara Lyle, 2nd grade, Charter School MH
Gracie Georgi, 4th grade, Charter School MH
Maggie Luu, 8th grade, Martin Murphy Middle School
