STEM Advisory Seminar #3: Math Examples

Advisors presented STEM overview and current methodology, and explored both the integration of and the underlying processes linking content areas for both the Sesame Street and The Electric Company target audiences.

Sesame Worskhop will be focusing on STEM over a 2 year period, targeting all platforms including TV, Online, Publishing, Products etc.

Sara Sweetman, M.Ed.        Science Inquiry Specialist, University of Rhode Island
Preeti Gupta, Ph.D.           Senior Vice President for Education and Family Programs, New York Hall of Science   
Sybilla Beckmann, Ph.D.      Professor of Mathematics, University of Georgia

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3. Math Examples
Sybilla Beckmann, Professor of Mathematics, University of Georgia.

When thinking of math in terms of STEM, one way can describe math as the LANGUAGE of science and technology.

MATH PROCESS
1. Understand what the problem is --> what do we want to figure out?
2. Mathematize the situation --> bring out the math!
3. Solve the problem --> Explain the solution.
4. Look back and make connections to other situations.

UNITIZINGUnitizing makes math owrk. Creating a unit out of something, that makes a component out of something bigger.

** we could make a nice game out of this.

MATHEMATIZINGMathematical aspects:
    how many?
    how many more?
    how many in all?
    what kind of shape is this?

Formulate the situation in a mathematical way.
    eg.  small circles stand for actual things
           geometric shapes to model real-world objects.

COUNTING VS HOW MANYIt can be a difficult concept for pre-k kids to understand the concept of counting vs 'how many all together'.  Sybilla gave an example activity that showed how this can help:

More bugs or Beds?

Grouping by tens

Understanding teen numbers as tens and some ones

SHOW STRUCTURE BEHIND PROBLEMS
Showing physical examples of multiplication

STEM Advisory Seminar #2: Engineering / physics

Advisors presented STEM overview and current methodology, and explored both the integration of and the underlying processes linking content areas for both the Sesame Street and The Electric Company target audiences.

Sesame Worskhop will be focusing on STEM over a 2 year period, targeting all platforms including TV, Online, Publishing, Products etc.

Sara Sweetman, M.Ed.        Science Inquiry Specialist, University of Rhode Island
Preeti Gupta, Ph.D.           Senior Vice President for Education and Family Programs, New York Hall of Science   
Sybilla Beckmann, Ph.D.      Professor of Mathematics, University of Georgia

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2. Preeti Gupta talks about the New York Hall of Science 

BUBBLES
Preeti talked about experiments that are cross-generational in terms of engagement and things you can discover : Bubbles is a good example. At the exhibit in the NY Hall of Science, everyone loves to play with them.

Used the term 'co-play discovery' in the sense that kids will come up with questions about size and duration, but adults might ask questions about light refraction in the room etc.

SLIDES
There is also a great slide in the outdoor playground which kids love. It also helps them ask questions about force and engery such as which slide goes fastest? Which goes slowest? What material makes me go faster?

Inquiring about forces and motion with slides can also lead further discovery as kids get older to more complicated structures, like roller coasters.

Preeti discussed the type of experiments that are very engaging in the classroom. In particular, kids love big, massive projects that can physically take up an entire classroom.

Some example websites to check out include
+ Crayon Physics
+ Funderstanding Science (eg. create a roller coaster)

LIVING THINGS
Kids love learning about and studying living things. Preeti gave an example of an activity where kids are asked to construct a habitat that would be suitable for a type of animal.

There is a real Gecko in the NY Hall of Science that is also a hit attraction. Geckos move up walls using little velcro-like spikes on their feet. This is how the inventor of velcro in fact got his idea! It's a great way of demonstrating how technologies are often inspired by natural structures.

** game idea of matching living things to new technologies they inspired.


BUILDING BLOCKS
Plan, then plot, then build. A good way of presenting process of urban construction.  Or you could play SIMS :p

ROCKETS
Preeti discussed how rockets are good for students to PREDICT and figure out how to break down information -- CLAIMS, EVIDENCE, REASON.
She then went on to give the seminar a real rocket experiment, whereby we predicted which one of 8 different rockets would go the farthest (each had different attributes such as size, number of fins etc). Hilariously, Alison Folino got hit in the head with about four of the rockets.

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STEM Advisory Seminar #1: SCIENCE INQUIRY

April 15 2010

Advisors presented STEM overview and current methodology, and explored both the integration of and the underlying processes linking content areas for both the Sesame Street and The Electric Company target audiences.

Sesame Worskhop will be focusing on STEM over a 2 year period, targeting all platforms including TV, Online, Publishing, Products etc.

Sara Sweetman, M.Ed.        Science Inquiry Specialist, University of Rhode Island
Preeti Gupta, Ph.D.            Senior Vice President for Education and Family Programs, New York Hall of Science   
Sybilla Beckmann, Ph.D.    Professor of Mathematics, University of Georgia


1. SCIENCE INQUIRY
Sara Sweetman, M.Ed.       
Talked about the definition of 'technology' and how people often forget that it doesn't just refer to 'digital'. Technology refers to anything we create that makes life better. For example, a spoon is a piece of technology.

In describing the meaning of science inquiry Sarah outlined cross-content enduring knowledge as

d- Forces, Energy and Motion.

A - PROPERTIES OF MATTER
+ attributes such as size, color, shape, tescture, state
+ describe
+ sort and classify
+ recognize / identify
+ test / experiment

B - FORM & FUNCTION

FORM	FUNCTION
fin	swim
wheel	roll
boomerang	throw & return

C - MODELS & DESIGNS
Sarah described this category in terms of planning cost-saving effective tools for gathering evidence, gathering support and managing society.

D - FORCES, ENGERY & MOTION

Things that move, are stable, have balance, push and pull, stop and go.
Gave the example of a class science experiment about balls -- which ball was the bounciest? Students had to come up with a hypothesis then test against specific criteria different balls such as squash balls, ping pong balls, tennis balls etc. How squishy was it? How many times did it bounce?

* Sarah gave a suggested TV content idea that covered forces and motion: Super Grover moves 3 objects of different masses. He  goes about it the same way with each object resulting in three different reactions. Payoff - Grover, by default learns Newton's 2nd law. By applying KNOWLEDGE he then experiences Newton's 3rd law.

* Sarah's game content idea: design and build a cart that can be pushed and pulled.

* Sarah's TEC game idea: STEM superpowers
    - power of Observation
    - power of Data Collection
    - power of open mindedness (ability to discover and explore new concepts)
    - power of Scientific Illustration

SUMMARY

Sarah finished off with three core takeaways

1. "Because" --> there are no claims without evidence
2. Try experiments before you teach them. Have fun with them.
3. Create a THINKING curriculum, not a telling curriculum.