Activities
HANDS-ON SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
ENGINEERING OF TRANSPORTATION: Learners will work with logo mats to design and make miniature versions of transportation structures. Both the practical and theoretical sides of the process will be explored. Learners will improve their design abilities and problem solving skills, and will also experience a feeling of pride from being able to design a functioning engineering structure. This activity will also give them access to cutting-edge educational materials they wouldn’t necessarily be exposed to at school.
Facilitators: Young Engineers @youngengineers.sa
MATHEMATICS OF BASKET WEAVING
Basket weavers will demonstrate their weaving skills, and worksheets will be provided to showcase the link between mathematics and basket weaving. As a result, learners will acquire an increased awareness of mathematics in the cultures of our country. This activity will also raise awareness of the applications of mathematics in everyday life and expose learners to the entrepreneurial opportunities that mathematics brings.
Facilitators: AIMSSEC team
LANTERNS AND POLYHEDRA
This is an exciting activity - returning after popular demand from learners at the last National Science Week - where learners make 3D shapes which will allow them to create lanterns. Most learners will make a tetrahedron or cube but those learners daring enough can make an icosohedron or dodecahedron! The learners will use recycled paper and string to make their lanterns ready to be taken home to show their families.
PRACTICAL PROBABILITY
Learners will gain confidence in probability calculations, and understand how they are applicable in daily life.
Facilitators: Dr Claire Blackman (PhD in Astrophysics), Dr Jon Shock (PhD Applied Maths), UCT Dept Maths & Applied Maths
SKA SA Workshop
1. Make your own spectroscope
Spectroscopes are used to find out lots of things about everything around us. In astronomy, Astrophysicists use the spectroscope to find out what stars are made of and how galaxies move by studying the light they emit into space. This workshop will help learners understand the electromagnetic spectrum; what spectroscopy is and how it is used to learn more about the universe.
2. Colour by Number
This interactive workshop will teach learners how a radio telescope works, how astronomers at the SKA turn radio waves into data, and decode the data into images of the night sky.
MATHEMATICS OF POTTERY
A display showcasing the ‘life-cycle’ of a pot (from the ingredients to the finished product) will be shown, as well as physical samples of different stages of the pot’s development. Examples of pottery used in gift shops provides a link to tourism. Learners will experience increased awareness of the application of mathematics to the design curriculum and in everyday art.
Facilitators: AIMSSEC team
ARTS AND GEOMETRY: Geometric figures help students to understand the theoretical concepts of Mathematics. In the world around us, there are many three-dimensional geometric shapes having some parts forming regular or irregular polygons. Geometry activities combining with simple hands-on 3d shapes foster the interests of the students on learning Mathematics and applying them to real life. Students will understand how mathematics plays a role in real life. Students will understand the structure of polygons.
ROBOTICS & COMPUTER PROGRAMMING: The participants will learn how to build a Robot and how to identify the different parts that are required when building a robot, this will prepare them for the analytical thinking skills required for success in engineering, mathematics and science career paths. Robotics has many benefits that include encouraging learners to use scientific methods of thinking. Our learners in grade 6 and facilitators will be presenting the activity to the participants, and they also will be given a chance to try and build a robot themselves.
Facilitators: Thope Foundation
www.thopefoundation.org @ThopeF
Electromagnetism is one of the fundamental forces in nature. Its complete mathematical formulation has been achieved before and by the end of 1950's. It is present in everyday life, but we seem to be unaware of its presence and its importance to explain most phenomena in our everyday life. This activity will try to show the connection of electromagnetic force to the reality by performing a simple experiment using battery AA-size, paper-clip and copper-wire. This activity aims to target students to have good intuition about mathematical formula and their importance to direct application to phenomena in nature.
STREET WIRE AND MATHEMATICS
Street wire artists will demonstrate street wire art to the learners, and an artist will give a brief street wire master-class for the learners to take part in. This will mean learners will become more aware of art that is produced locally, with a particular focus on how this art links to mathematics. They will also be inspired to be innovative and get to make and take home their own piece of mathematical artwork!
Facilitators: AIMSSEC team
SCIENCE SHOW: Some call it magic; we call it science. Our science show will excite while nurturing awareness that science is part of our daily lives.
Facilitator: Mr Detlef Basel, Cape Town Science Centre, (WCED Outreach Educator)
www.ctsc.org.za @ScienceCentreCT
Fibonacci Numbers and Nature: We will explain mathematical concepts in an easy to understand visually attractive, and interactive manner.
Can mathematics help us make better decisions in Agriculture?
In this activity, we will work with different soil textural classes and observe their water retentive and absorption capacity. Learning objectives include:
- Understanding the major soil textural classes and their water absorption potential
- Discuss different types of irrigation methods and linked these to the above soil textural classes
- Discuss different crops that can grow optimally in different soils
- Discuss the importance of setting up proper irrigation systems and how this relates to water-use and energy-use efficiency
- Discuss a few major parameters that are useful in designing mathematical models to determine soil-water content
TALKS
ROLE MODELLING & CAREER GUIDANCE
To provide learners and teachers with the opportunity to engage and interact with STEM professional role models whose career journeys/paths will inspire and spark interest in learners to continue studying STEM subjects at school and university.
Click here to get to know our role models.
PROBABILITIES IN EVERYDAY LIFE
A talk on how mathematics and specifically probability theory can be used to model phenomena that are not deterministic. I'll cover what a probability is, introduce a few probability distributions and give examples of the kinds of things each can model. Examples will mostly be drawn from ecology and the environment.
PUBLIC LECTURE
‘Tech is the future’
By Ms Nozuko Poni, Marketing & Project Coordinator, Silicon Cape
Key talking points:
- The world going digital - what this means for businesses, consumers and careers
- How to position yourself in tech
- Innovating around social issues (highlighting great innovations)
- Sharing of current opportunities
Bio: Nozuko Poni is the Marketing & Project Coordinator at Silicon Cape. Before her role at Silicon Cape, she was coordinated a digital marketing project powered by Google to train young people in digital marketing. Having studied Film & Media, she is a creative at heart and has a passion for young women development.
Date: Tuesday 8 August 2017
Time: 18:45 for 19:00
Cost: Free
Venue: African Institute for Mathematical Sciences 6 Melrose Road, Muizenberg