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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
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Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
From Mirrors To Wallpapers: A Virtual Math Circle Module On Symmetry, Nicole A. Sullivant, Christina L. Duron, Douglas T. Pfeffer
From Mirrors To Wallpapers: A Virtual Math Circle Module On Symmetry, Nicole A. Sullivant, Christina L. Duron, Douglas T. Pfeffer
Journal of Math Circles
Symmetry is a natural property that children see in their everyday lives; it also has deep mathematical connections to areas like tiling and objects like wallpaper groups. The Tucson Math Circle (TMC) presents a 7-part module on symmetry that starts with reflective symmetry and culminates in the deconstruction of wallpapers into their ‘generating tiles’. This module utilizes a scaffolded, hands-on approach to cover old and new mathematical topics with various interactive activities; all activities are made available through free web-based platforms. In this paper, we provide lesson plans for the various activities used, and discuss their online implementation with Zoom, …
Revisiting Prejudiced Polygons: Adapting A Familiar Activity During A Time Of Unknowns, Anne M. Ho, Jaime J. Mccauley, Tara T. Craig
Revisiting Prejudiced Polygons: Adapting A Familiar Activity During A Time Of Unknowns, Anne M. Ho, Jaime J. Mccauley, Tara T. Craig
Journal of Math Circles
This article describes the design process behind various iterations of Prejudiced Polygons, a Math Circles activity about segregation. In particular, we frame our discussion around two guiding principles from User Experience (UX) Design in thinking about the interconnected components of a Math Circles session, which includes all the people, the physical or virtual setting, the technology, and the world context. Additionally, we describe how we think about developing a “low floor" and “high ceiling" for math content, social issues content, as well as technology and access.
Domino Circles, Lauren L. Rose, A. Gwinn Royal, Amanda Serenevy, Anna Varvak
Domino Circles, Lauren L. Rose, A. Gwinn Royal, Amanda Serenevy, Anna Varvak
Journal of Math Circles
Creating a circle with domino pieces has a connection with complete graphs in Graph Theory. We present a hands-on activity for all ages, using dominoes to explore problem solving, pattern recognition, parity, graph theory, and combinatorics. The activities are suitable for elementary school students, the graph theory interpretations are suitable for middle and high school students, and the underlying mathematical structures will be of interest to college students and beyond.
A Math Without Words Puzzle, Jane H. Long, Clint Richardson
A Math Without Words Puzzle, Jane H. Long, Clint Richardson
Journal of Math Circles
A visual puzzle by James Tanton forms the basis for a session that has been successfully implemented with various audiences. Designed to be presented with no directions or description, the puzzle requires participants to discover the goals themselves and to generate their own questions for investigation. Solutions, significant facilitation suggestions, and possibilities for deep mathematical extensions are discussed; extensive illustrations are included.
Mathematical Zendo: A Game Of Patterns And Logic, Philip Deorsey, Corey Pooler, Michael Ferrara
Mathematical Zendo: A Game Of Patterns And Logic, Philip Deorsey, Corey Pooler, Michael Ferrara
Journal of Math Circles
Mathematical Zendo is a logic game that actively engages participants in pattern recognition, problem solving, and critical thinking while providing a fun opportunity to explore all manner of mathematical objects. Based upon the popular game of Zendo, created by Looney Labs, Mathematical Zendo centers on a secret rule, chosen by the leader, that must be guessed by teams of players. In each round of the game, teams provide examples of the mathematical object of interest (e.g. functions, numbers, sets) and receive information about whether their guesses do or do not satisfy the secret rule. In this paper, we introduce Mathematical …
A Gentle Introduction To Inequalities: A Casebook From The Fullerton Mathematical Circle, Adam Glesser, Matt Rathbun, Bogdan Suceavă
A Gentle Introduction To Inequalities: A Casebook From The Fullerton Mathematical Circle, Adam Glesser, Matt Rathbun, Bogdan Suceavă
Journal of Math Circles
Run for nearly a decade, the Fullerton Mathematical Circle at California State University, Fullerton prepares middle and high school students for mathematical research by exposing them to difficult problems whose solutions require only age-appropriate techniques and background. This work highlights one of the avenues of study, namely inequalities. We cover Engel's lemma, the Cauchy--Schwartz inequality, and the AM-GM inequality, as well as providing a wealth of problems where these results can be applied. Full solutions or hints, several written by Math Circle students, are given for all of the problems, as well as some commentary on how or when to …