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Logo fo OHIO Center for Equtyi Matheatics and Science

Math and the World Summer Camp

Open to all learners! 

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Build confidence in math

Investigate social and political issues

Math globe

Who:

When:

Cost:

Where:

Contact:

Upcoming 7th and 8th graders

6/25-6/29 from 9am-12pm

$100 (sliding scale available)

The Patton College of Education at Ohio University

Dr. Felton-Koestler (felton@ohio.edu)

Overview

Each 3 hour day generally includes:

  • Warm up: Problem-solving math task

  • Project work: Exploring a social or political issue with mathematics

  • Reflection: Campers journal about their learning

  • Cool down: Another problem-solving math task

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Camp Expectations

Arrival: 8:45am - 9:00am daily. Campers are expected to arrive on time and ready to actively participate.

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Pickup: 12:00pm - 12:15pm daily. Campers must be signed out and depart by 12:15pm at the latest.

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Food: No food is provided through the camp. Campers can bring dry, non-crumby snacks and bottles with water only.

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Behavior: Treat other campers and instructors with respect. We will be discussing social and political issues. It is okay to disagree with ideas, but personal attacks are not allowed.

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Cell Phones: Cell phones and other personal communication devices should be put away and on silent during the camp.

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Use of Internet and Technology: This camp will include online research. Campers agree to use the internet appropriately and responsibly. This includes agreeing to the following statements:

  • I will not give out personal information online for myself or others.

  • I will only seek out materials, websites, and information relevant to instructional tasks.

  • I will immediately report any technology use that makes me uncomfortable or violates these policies.

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Unit 1: Diversity in Media

Overview

  • Learn about approaches to measuring diversity in media

  • Brainstorm types of diversity and media that could be investigated

  • Develop a method for measuring diversity in TV or film

  • Apply method to some set of shows/films

  • Share findings with the group

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Math concepts

  • Mathematical modeling: deciding how to use mathematics to understand a real-world phenomenon and making revisions based on feedback from instructors and peer

  • Data analysis: deciding what and how to measure, collecting data, analyzing, representing, and sharing results

  • Technology: preparing presentations with Google Slides, creating graphs and computing values in Google Sheets

  • Communicating mathematical thinking

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Resources

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Introduction​

  • 11-year old Marley Dias fights for diversity in books (we watched 0:00-1:09)

  • Example 1: Dr. Stacy Smith and her research team​ (we watched 2:17-2:51)

  • Example 2: The Bechdel Test (we watched 0:33-1:28)

    • Are there two named women?​

    • Do they speak to each other?

    • About something other than a man?

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Data and Resources​

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Analysis/Article​s

  • Analysis showing movies passing he Bechdel Test make more money (fivethirtyeight.com)​

  • The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative – organization studying diversity in entertainment

  • Blog about diversity in children's books (ccbc.education.wisc.edu)​​

  • More about Marley Dias from Forbes (PDF of article)

  • Lack of diversity in the newsroom (npr.org)

  • Recent media

    • Why 'Blank Panther' means so much to African-Americans and the superhero universe (abc7news.com)​

    • Black Superheroes Matter: Why a 'Black Panther' Movie is Revolutionary (rollingstone.com)

    • Why 'Wonder Woman' matters to women — and is already changing the movies we watch (businessinsider.com)

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Unit 2: Environment/Greenhouse Gases

Overview

  • Brainstorm human affects on the environment

  • Learn about the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle

  • Learn about energy and electricity production

  • Interpret graphs about greenhouse gas emissions and energy production and use

  • Develop a formula for predicting our electricity-production-related greenhouse gas emissions based on how we generate our electricity

  • Use the formula to test the effect of changing how we produce our electricity

  • Brainstorm and explore solutions to this issue

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Math Concepts

  • Interpreting data (reading complex graphs)

  • Making sense of unfamiliar units (e.g., QBTUs, MMT CO2 Eq.)

  • Algebraic reasoning: developing a multivariable formula

  • Technology: entering a formula in Google Sheets

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Resources

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Background Info/Introduction

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Charts to Analyze

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Additional Articles & Resources to Explore

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Unit 3: Living vs. Minimum Wage

Overview

  • Discuss purpose of minimum wage and how it should be set

  • Each group is assigned a family structure (e.g., 2 working adults, 2 kids)

  • Use given data about minimum annual expenditures to calculate needed hourly wage

  • Present method, assumptions, and needed hourly wage for assigned family

  • Discuss fairness of minimum wag​e and how it should be set

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Math Concepts

  • Mathematical modeling: making assumptions about reasonable work hours, analyzing assumptions of existing model for necessities

  • Whole number computations

  • Estimating reasonable costs

  • Communicating mathematical thinking

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Resources

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