We’re delighted that so many Mathical fans of all ages joined us December 9-10, 2020 for the first online events of the 2021 National Math Festival, featuring live Mathical author readings and special guests. These recording are available to watch through December 2020. (Check them out before the new year begins!)
We’ve also compiled a list of resources and other useful links that were shared by the presenters and questions from our audience members for any educators, librarians, or parents who wish to further explore some topics — read on!
Tweens and Teens Take on Mathical (December 9, 2020)
* This recording’s public availability has expired due to copyright restrictions. Thank you to those who joined us live or viewed the recording in December 2020. We encourage you to check out the titles contained at your local bookstore or library!
Solving for M by Jennifer Swender
When Mika starts middle school in the fifth grade, her neat life gets messy. Separated from old friends and starting new classes, Mika is far from her comfort zone. And math class is the most confusing of all. Art in math? Who’s ever heard of such a thing?
DK Life Stories: Katherine Johnson by Dr. Ebony Joy Wilkins
In this engaging youth biography, Wilkins tells the inspiring story of Katherine Johnson, famed NASA mathematician who helped the United States put the first person on the moon, and one of the subjects of the best-selling book and movie Hidden Figures.
Slay by Brittney Morris (Pre-Recorded)
Immerse yourself in the story of Kiera Johnson, a 17-year-old self-taught computer programmer and video game developer. Kiera has tutored her classmates in mathematics for years, but can she solve the equation of figuring out who she is as a Black girl with a secret online identity?
Three mathematics educators, all with #BlackInMathWeek, join us for special commentary on Slay and Afrofuturism:
– Dr. Candice Price, Smith College, Mathematically Gifted and Black
– Dr. Noelle Sawyer, Southwestern University
– Michole Enjoli, PhD student, University of Michigan, and part of stemulationescaperoom.org.
This event was hosted by Kirsten Bohl (National Math Festival / Mathematical Sciences Research Institute), with Dr. Trena Wilkerson (President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, NCTM) and Dr. Tiffany Rehbein (Secondary Section Chair, National Council of Teachers of English, NCTE).
Little Ones Rule with Mathical (December 10, 2020)
* This recording’s public availability has expired due to copyright restrictions. Thank you to those who joined us live or viewed the recording in December 2020. We encourage you to check out the titles contained at your local bookstore or library!
Pigeon Math by Asia Citro
Telling a story about pigeons should be simple. But what’s a narrator to do when the number of feathered friends is constantly changing? Can our intrepid storyteller use math facts to keep up with the unstable quantities. . . or is this pigeon-centric tale doomed?
Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant by Songju Ma Daemicke
How much does an elephant weigh? How would you know if you didn’t have a modern scale? Six-year-old Cao Chong, the most famous child prodigy in Chinese history, faced just this problem! Chong watches as the prime minister’s advisors debate different methods.
Nothing Stopped Sophie by Cheryl Bardoe
When her parents took away her candles to keep their young daughter from studying math…nothing stopped Sophie. And when she tackled a math problem that male scholars said would be impossible to solve…still, nothing stopped Sophie.
This event was hosted by Kirsten Bohl (National Math Festival / Mathematical Sciences Research Institute), with Dr. Robert Berry (Past President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, NCTM) and Sarah Miller (National Council of Teachers of English, NCTE).
Additional Resources
Thank you to our authors, special guests, and partners at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) for sharing these with us!
- Get the Mathical Book List and age-level flyers to print at home or share online
- If your class does any experiments, or you want to share any pictures or art with us based on these stories, email us at mathical@msri.org or tag us on Twitter (@natmathfestival or using the hashtag #mathicalbooks). You can also send us a message on Facebook! We sometimes feature these submissions on the Mathical website!
- Where to purchase or find Mathical award-winning titles: Many of the Mathical titles from 2020 and previous years can be found at Bookshop.org’s list of Mathical Book Prize winners. (NCTE and independent bookstores will receive a small commission from purchases made using this link.)
- Using Children’s Literature to Make Real-World Mathematics Connections: View this recent NCTM webinar featuring Solving for M, Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant, and Nothing Stopped Sophie.
- Register for the next in the NCTM webinar series in January 2021: More Ideas from the Classroom on Using Children’s Literature to Make Real-World Mathematics Connections (free and open to all, featuring the same titles as the webinar above).
- Some of the NCTE members who introduced Mathical titles associated with the events this week will be providing blog posts and/or follow-up information for teachers to use these books in the classroom. Books featured will include Pigeon Math, DK Life Stories: Katherine Johnson, and Slay. Look for blog posts here https://ncte.org/blog/.
- DREME reading guides: The DREME Network has created storybook guides for certain Mathical titles to help parents and caregivers talk about math with their children while reading together. Each storybook guide corresponds to a specific picture book.
- Direct link: Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant (PDF)
- Direct link: Nothing Stopped Sophie(PDF)
Title-specific resources inspired by your questions:
DK Life Stories: Katherine Johnson
You can read NASA’s official biography of Katherine Johnson to learn more about her work.
Nothing Stopped Sophie
How to try Sophie Germain’s experiments with vibrations and sand patterns at home:
- There is a fun video that shows how you could try this at home using a bowl, some sprinkles, a rubber band, and plastic wrap: YouTube link
- Another guide to recreating this at home
Resources from #BlackInMath Week guests:
- For the educators and parents, you can find a lot of great conversations with and between Black mathematicians, students, and scientists on Twitter via the hashtag #BlackInMathWeek.
- Mathematically Gifted and Black website
- StemulationEscapeRoom
- From Michole Enjoli’s discussion of Afrofuturism, here is a resource that shares some background on the topic.
Author Websites:
- Asia Citro: Asiacitro.com
- Songju Ma Daemicke: www.songjumadaemicke.com
- Cheryl Bardoe: www.cherylbardoe.com
- Jennifer Swender: JacobsAndSwender.com
- Dr. Ebony Joy Wilkins: ebonyjoywilkins.com
- EBONY KIDS is a monthly subscription for children’s books written by and about Black people: ebonyjoywilkins.com/ebonykids/
- Brittney Morris: www.authorbrittneymorris.com
More about the National Math Festival:
You can find the 2021 Festival schedule of events here!
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- Twitter: @natmathfestival, or follow the hashtag #2021NMF
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