Museum Day 2023 at 3 Locations in Austin!

Lauren SiegelWe think math is fun!Leave a Comment

MathHappens Foundation is a member of the Austin Museum Partnership, and our Director serves on the all volunteer board.  The AMP organizes Museum Day, one day a year when over 35 museums offer free admission and special programming for our community.  MathHappens also participates by providing activities at the museums.  In 2023 we had activities at The Bullock Texas State History Museum, The Neill-Cochran House (NCH)  Museum and the Austin Nature and Science Center (ANSC).

Stefany Espinoza, Megan Do, Mason Chng, and Tyson Geigenmiller offered the story of the sliderule at the Bullock, Naila Hajiyeva and her club volunteers staffed a room of activities at NCH and , Ella Basken, Matt Hertel and Julie Wu set up and staffed the Math Room at ANSC for an extra hour from 12 -4.

Bullock

At the Bullock, we offered a timeline of calculation devices assembled by Tyson.  These included the first calculator, Napiers Bones, a Gunter Rule featuring a logarithm scale, Genaille -Lucas Rulers, and two vintage slide rules.   For younger visitors we have a 1950s learning toy called a Smarty Cat, with a make and take activity to design your own.

Neill-Cochran House Museum

We brought 21st Century Pattern Blocks and Frames, kits to draw the seed of life, bubble tiles, the new Spectre tiles discovered this year, and several puzzles featuring tessellating pentagons discovered by Marjorie Rice, pentagon #9, and the Versatile.  We also had a hexagon to square dissection take and make where you color both forms and glue the pieces back to back for a two sided puzzle that guides you to make both.  Here’s a PDF if you’d like to print one.

Austin Nature and Science Center

Here’s a quick video to give an idea of the space.

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