Houston Science Festival: Mathematical Origami

Lauren SiegelCommunity Partnerships, Events, Houston, Intern Experience, Sharing Ideas, Take and Make, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

On September 10, Jordan Varat and Stefany Espinoza hosted a table at the Houston Science Festival , an event co-sponsored by Bridges to Science that has the tag line “Casa to College”, because it is a celebration of Hispanic culture and learning at home designed for home educated 5th-12th grade students and their parents. We are really pleased to contribute

2023 Construct 3d Conference Team: Ella Basken and Jordan Varat

Lauren SiegelConference Presentations, Events, Intern Experience, Making Math, Sharing Ideas, Take and Make, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

Update:  Ella Basken created this Presi slideshow of her conference experience.  Its great! At the Construct 3d 2023 conference in NY Ella and Jordan are presenting a variety of models and a poster about the use of these models to enhance mathematics education.  You can contact Ella at:  ebasken@utexas.edu and Jordan at: jordan@varatenterprises.com Ella is our 3d print expert and

Partner Spotlight: Workshop visit with Kim Kinder from Cuba, MO

Lauren SiegelMaking Math, Take and Make, Teacher Support & Training, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

Kimberly Kinder is a high school math teacher who is really passionate about bringing new learning experiences for her students.  She drove 12 hours to come to Austin because she’s really interested in making some of the models we have and in making her own. We are really excited about supporting her work. Kimberly not only selected some models and

Take and Make: First Versions of Hat Tiles and 21st Century Pattern Block Frames for Hat Tiles

Lauren SiegelMaking Math, Sharing Ideas, Take and Make, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

Here are the CAD files we have so far.  You should find AI, CorelDraw, SVG and EPS in these folders. We are not finished putting info on the puzzles, etc, so they are “drafts”.  Please help yourself: Hat Tile Frames for Pattern Blocks:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZjuZCc3k03KoHrcOjYicwiu5ZTaVfUB1?usp=sharing Hat Tile puzzle and/or  Print Sheet  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/177BM6RlwbfdT-kX7dUzWYCxD8hpxH34g?usp=sharing Find links to other frames for 21st Century Pattern

Take and Make: Tusi couple for a UT Perspectives Class

Lauren SiegelCommunity Partnerships, Making Math, Mathematical Artifacts, Take and Make, Teacher Support & Training, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

The Tusi couple is a mathematical device in which a small circle rotates inside a larger circle twice the diameter of the smaller circle.  With this relationship of diameters, each point on the circumference of the smaller circle actually follows a linear path as the rotation occurs. Here’s a link to a video so you can see it in motion. Files to

Take and Make: Shisima Game from Kenya for SE Branch Library

Lauren SiegelEvents, Intern Experience, Library, Mathematical Artifacts, Spanish version, Take and Make, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

SE Branch library invited us to participate in their event celebrating music from Kenya.  We found a new strategy game two player strategy game called Shisima that is related to tic-tac-toe, that originates from Kenya.  Melissa Wilkinson cut and made the design that Stefany Espinoza created.  Quan Nguyen and Marianne Villanueva brought the game to SE Branch, participated in some drumming and

Take and Make: Trammel Kit

Lauren SiegelMaking Math, Sharing Ideas, Take and Make, Ways to like math, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

12-28 Update.  We continue to iterate on the Trammel Project.  Dr. Sereveny’s students at Riverbend Community Math Center have updated the files with a larger hole for the pencil/pen and they are working on an adjustable arm so we can make multiple shapes (of Ellipses). And they sent Links to the Hardware screws and filament: Hardware: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XRX2F4Q/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2N32G193BWL7U&psc=1 We use a

Take and Make: Scott Kim Block by Block Jr- SE Branch Library

Lauren SiegelHouston, Library, Making Math, Sharing Ideas, Take and Make, Ways to like math, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

Whether in 1″ Maple, or 1/2″ pine, or 5″ cardboard, this block set known as Block by Block Jr. designed  by puzzle designer Scott Kim has multiple uses and offers a variety of ways to practice spacial skills, problem solving and just have fun together.   We highly recommend this activity for all ages.   We ordered 1000 block from a