Objectives:

• To illustrate to Teacher-Candidates how English Language Arts(both reading and writing) and Mathematics are integral to STEM Education

• To integrate mathematics via data recording, display, and computer programming

Mathematics Literacy

In the elementary grades, math is commonly taught by classroom teachers, sometimes with the assistance of a math coach. These educators share the responsibility of making vital connections between math and literacy; hence there are references to math in this Framework and references to literacy in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics.

When math is referred to in the ELA/literacy Framework, it is with the assumption that any reading, writing, speaking, and listening and language work in math will be closely aligned to the grade-level standards for mathematical content and the standards for mathematical practice in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics.

Mathematics and Modeling

Central to both science and engineering is the concept of modeling- a physical and/or mathematical model that predicts the behavior of systems, whether in the natural world(science), such as Newton's law of gravitation, or the human-made world(engineering).

These models can either be formally expressed in the form of equations, or physically in the form of models.

The parabolic path of a football can be described by these two equations:

y = Vyt - 0.5gt2

y = V_yt - 0.5gt²

x =Vxt

x =V_xt

• y is the height at any time (t)

• V_y is the vertical component of the football's initial velocity

• g is acceleration due to Earth's gravity, 9.8 m/s²

• x is the horizontal distance of the ball at any time (t)

• V_x is the horizontal component of the football's initial velocity

Mathematics skills in STEM Projects:

Balloon Cars:

• • Calculate the volume of a balloon

  • Measure speed and acceleration

  • Graph position vs time

Sinking and Floating:

• Predict load capacity of a clay or aluminum foil boat

• Predict load capacity of a foam raft based on its volume

Domes:

• Calculate length segments for a 2V and 3V geodesic dome

• Calculate interior volume of a 12" diameter

Egg Drop

• Calculate dynamic load on a landing egg with different types of cushioning or drag

Light Explorations

• Calculate angles of reflection for a periscope

• Calculate angles of refraction

Parachutes

• Calculate area of parachutes of different sizes

• Calculate effective drag based on terminal velocity

Solar Oven

• Design shape for a parabolic mirror for a given diameter

STEM Walks

• Graph numbers and densities of difference plant species in a survey

Scratch Geometric Art

• Calculate angles for different designs

• See Scratch Math-based projects at https://fullsteam.mit.edu/week-10-package-get-creative-with-math/

Edutopia: Using Science to Bring Literature to Life

https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-science-bring-literature-life

Science Note-taking
https://www.calacademy.org/educators/science-notebooks-for-notetaking

More from Vi Hart:

Hexaflexagons https://youtu.be/VIVIegSt81k

Hexaflexagons 2 https://youtu.be/paQ10POrZh8

What's up with Pythagoras? https://youtu.be/X1E7I7_r3Cw

What's up with Noises? https://youtu.be/i_0DXxNeaQ0

Metachirality https://youtu.be/3ONwD9a9DWs

Above: Scratch art with Turtlestich embroidery

In-class activity: Geometric art with Scratch https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/4311498/