UW Programs for K-12 Educators / Math Day for High School Students

Math Day For High School Students
Monday, March 23, 2009
UW campus, Seattle

Math Day 2009 will be held on Monday, March 23, 2009 on the University of Washington campus. The information below is for Math Day 2008. Please visit our website in January for Math Day 2009 program information.

Learn how mathematics can be exciting, practical and rewarding

· Overview · Sessions · On-Campus Field Trips · Panel Discussions · Activities

Hands-On Activities

Geometry Computer Lab (All Sessions)

Geometer’s Sketchpad is an exciting and innovative interactive tool for geometrical exploration. Learn the basics of using Sketchpad while examining the concept of symmetry.

Light and Shadow – (Double session 10:15-11:55)
Donna Messina, Lecturer, Physics

Have you ever wondered why shadows look the way they do? Can learning about similar triangles help you solve puzzles? Answer these questions and more as you use math and simple lab equipment to explore the behavior of light and shadow. Work in groups on an inquiry-based activity designed to help develop the ability to make predictions about geometric optics.
Space limited- ticket required.

Mathematical Card Tricks (10:15 and 1:20)

Learn how to impress your friends and family with just a deck of cards and your brain. No sleight of hand is necessary, just some clever math. The ideas involved are based on a relatively young field of mathematics called Combinatorics. Combinatorics is the study of discrete objects, counting arrangements of those objects, and optimizing their properties.
Space limited- ticket required.

Math and Sudoku (10:15 and 11:15)
Sara Billey, Associate Professor, Mathematics

10:15 Session for Beginners, 11:15 Session is for Fans
While Sudoku may be a relatively recent hit around the world, its predecessors, called Latin Squares, have been around for centuries. We will talk about some of the mathematics behind Sudoku and tell you an unsolved problem to think about. For the 10:15 session prior knowledge of Sudoku is not necessary. The 11:15 session is for those with more Sudoku experience.
Space limited- ticket required.

Math Day Magic Show (10:15 and 1:20)
Carto Wong, Graduate Student, Mathematics, University of Washington

Have you ever thought of how mathematical ideas can be applied to magic tricks? This is an entertaining session rather than a formal lecture. You are invited to come and enjoy what we have prepared for you: classic pieces of magic such as cups and balls, linking rings, multiplying balls, card tricks and coin tricks.
Space limited- ticket required.

Games and Puzzles: Problem-solving Strategies (All Sessions)

Investigate some math challenges in tessellating, spatial reasoning and interactive problem-solving. Puzzles are provided by Math ‘n’ Stuff (Store located at: 8926 Roosevelt Ave. NE, Seattle, 206-522-8891).

Paper Construction of Geometric Models (1:20)

UW math students and faculty help participants construct paper geometric models.

What Makes Boomerangs Come Back (All Sessions)
Ernie Esser, Graduate Student, Mathematics, UCLA

You can’t get rid of a good boomerang; it comes back if you throw it away! The math and physics involved in the flight of boomerangs is explained, see how boomerang characteristics and throwing techniques affect their flight during tests in a nearby field.
Space limited- ticket required.

Questions?
Information about Math Day is also available at: www.math.washington.edu/~morrow/mathday.html.
If you have questions about program content, please call the UW Department of Mathematics, 206-543-1150.
If you have questions about registration, please contact UW Extension, 206-887-8939 or 1-800-506-1325.

Math Day 2008 is presented by the UW Department of Mathematics in conjunction with the Departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Applied Math, Astronomy, Atmospheric Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth and Space Sciences, Genetics, Molecular Biotechnology, Oceanography, Physics, Statistics, Zoology, the UW Medical Center, Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media and the Center for Advanced Research Technology in the Arts and Humanities.