Hands-On Math

University of Massachusetts > STEM > December 2007 | Hands-On Math

Designing Dolls

Rumor has it that if you lined Barbie Dolls up head to toe, they would circle the globe eight times.  This movie takes students behind-the-scenes to meet a Barbie designer who uses everything from measurement to fractions to patterns to design new dolls.

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 Peas in a Pod

Is there a relationship between the length of a pea pod and the number of peas it contains? This experiment shows students one possible problem solving strategy to answer this question.

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Building Custom Guitars

Your students know what an electric guitar is--some probably play them--but do they know how a guitar is made? Whether it's the type of wood, the number of strings or the hundreds of choices in between, the guitar makers at Alembic use precision, care and skillful manipulation of numbers to craft some of the finest guitars in the world. Take them inside the workshop!
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Popcorn, Peanuts, Hot Dogs

The subject of statistics plays a major role in the game of baseball. It is also essential to making sure there's enough food to feed all those hungry fans. For stadium concession managers it's never too early to start planning for next year.

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Growing Bugs

To keep their crops healthy and free of pesticides, some farmers use good bugs that attack the bad bugs. Meet a woman who raises good bugs, like ladybugs, by the gallon.
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