Math in the Movies: Have Some Fun as the Year Winds Down

  

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The school year is winding down, standardized tests are coming to an end, and we’re starting to tie up loose ends before leaving school for the summer. Many of my colleagues are using the last weeks of school to cover topics that weren’t taught prior to the state tests. However, many teachers are also fitting in some low-key learning days to give students a break and show them that math isn’t just about crunching numbers. For some, these fun-filled days may include a movie-showing where the feature film highlights an aspect of math.

Websites such as Mathematics in Movies, provide information about math references in movies. Many of the references are minor and many of the movies may not be appropriate for your audience. However, there are several movies that are math-related and may inspire your students and provide a context for the math topics they have been studying. Some of my favorites include:

• Stand and Deliver (Rated PG): In this movie, appropriate for middle- and high-school students, an inspiring teacher motivates students to learn Calculus and helps them recognize their potential.

• Donald in Mathmagic Land:  Elementary or middle-school students will enjoy this animated feature in which Donald Duck shows how math can be used in everyday life.
• Contact (Rated PG): Characters in this movie use math, specifically prime numbers, to communicate with an alien civilization.

If you’re interested in having your students follow along with worksheets during the movies, find a site like MathBits which includes a plethora of resources. Be sure to review the resources prior to using them as some of them may be far advanced for your students. If you’re motivated, you could make your own worksheets to ensure that they are age-appropriate. So, go ahead, have a little fun this spring. Your students are likely to get excited about watching a film in class, and if it helps them appreciate math, then it’s well worth it!