Hands-On Math

University of Massachusetts > STEM > Hands-On Math | March '09

MATH ON TRACK | The New York City Subway

Over 4 million people ride New York City's subway system every single day. This movie will take you to the one destination those riders never see-the operations center where a team of professionals work hard to ensure everything runs smoothly.

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HANDS-ON MATH | Designing Stronger Skateboards

Tim Piumarta took his love for skateboarding, combined it with his knowledge of math, physics and materials science, and became one of the world's most influential skateboard designers.  Share this Futures Channel favorite with your students today.

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HANDS-ON MATH | Landscape Architects

When most people think of architects they think of buildings. But who designs the green space outside the buildings and the plazas, parks, and gardens throughout our cities?

Introduce your students to Jennifer Guthrie and Shannon Nichol, two top landscape architects from an award-winning Seattle firm, and give them an inside look at this fascinating profession and the art, mathematics and science that's required to do it well.

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PROBLEM SOLVING | Ferret Figures

Imagine it's your job to save a nearly extinct species of ferrets native to North America. What problem-solving skills could you use to give yourself the best chance of success?

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MOVIE MATH | The Art Director

A set is a created place where the action of a film or TV show happens. Actors, animals and objects are placed on a set for filming. Creating a set where everything fits just right calls for an understanding of measurement, area and scale.

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NUMBER WRANGLING | Horses in the Movies

A Western wouldn't be a Western without stampedes and shoot-outs on horseback or simply cowboys riding into town. So, who does the producer call when he needs stagecoaches, buckboards and horses to make the script come alive?  And how much will it cost to bring those horses and wagons to a movie set?   Give your students the back-story and show them how math plays a role in keeping a movie from going over budget.

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HANDS-ON MATH | Dancing with Geometry

A professional dancer and an orthopedic surgeon demonstrate the fundamental role geometry and technology play in keeping dancers performing at the highest level.

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HANDS-ON MATH | The Rhythm Track

When students ask, "Why do I need math? I'm going to be a musician!", introduce them to world-renowned drummer Ndugu Chancler.  This six-minute movie contains amazing drumming, a breakdown of the mathematics of rhythm and a professional's opinion on technology and creativity.

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CHANGING SHAPES | Inventing with Polygons

Chuck Hoberman's inventions are more than just technological marvels; they' re works of art.  See how basic principles of geometry help him create extraordinarily strong, expandable structures.

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PROBLEM SOLVING | Space in Space

When engineers at NASA started developing the new Orion space vehicle, they decided to reduce its diameter from 5.5 meters to 5 meters.  This activity has students work with this real world scenario to explore the challenges that this change in size created for the engineering team.

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