By DANIELLE HEIDCAMP
UMO
This week’s question: Why do plants hate math?
Last week’s question: How many eggs can you put in an empty basket?
Answer: Only one, after that the basket isn’t empty any more.
Saturday, April 6 2013– UMO, Unified Mathematics Organization, embarked on their first trip to Manhattan to see the MoMath Museum. The interactive mathematics museum was proof that mathematics can be fun. Although the museum was geared towards children, there were people of all ages using the hands on activities in the two-floor museum. The many activities included uses of cameras, video, computer systems, and even building blocks. There were brainteasers that stumped some of our students and animations that enlightened us.
This field trip was great for mathematics majors, childhood education majors, and secondary education majors. Some of the activities on the top floor included a painting studio that related to polynomial function. Next to that was a computer that allowed you to manipulate 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional objects by rotating the light up knobs left and right to change the equation, which changes the shape of the object on the screen.
Even the staircase incorporates mathematics in an interesting way. The staircase was a helix of multiplication. The helix had numbers listed 1 to 100. If you pressed the ‘3’ button on one panel and the number 6 on the other panel, the helix would light up the number 18; same if you press the number 9 on one panel and 9 on the other, the number 81 would light up on the helix.
Once you hit the bottom of the stairs, the first thing you see is an interactive light up floor that shows light up points and spaces. The second floor is the location of the “Enigma Café” that had several tables set up each with their own complex puzzles to solve.
The MoMath museum also had an activity for fractals where two people in individual spots stood in front of a camera that recorded your motions. It recognized where the hands were and when projected on the wall, turned the end of the hands into tree branches. With different motions, the branches kept on expanding and moved with the motion of your body. There were different settings for the different seasons. One of the more popular ones seemed to be the spring and summer setting; it must have been the flowers that were blooming on the ends of the branches.
The huge take away from this trip was both the interaction of children and adults. Upon looking around the museum, not only were the children engaged, but so were their parents. They were hands-on helping their kids and getting as much from the experience as the children themselves.
As the day came to an end, Chris Lovell, UMO President, made an announcement that the club had raised enough money through fundraising that we were able to make a donation to the MoMath Museum. The donation was from UMO to Dr. Joanne Powers. It is thanks to Dr. Powers and all of her help that this trip was made possible. A big thank you also goes out to Chris Lovell for orchestrating much of the details that enabled this trip to happen.
As the weather becomes warmer and the semester comes to an end, UMO is starting to think about the next year. There are new ideas to promote the organization and fundraising options. The club will be talking about elections for next semester, planning the next meeting date, and planning days the organization will meet for next semester. As always, contact us if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments about the elections or other club activities.
