TEACHER WORKSHOPS

These workshops show how to make students interested in mathematical concepts. Mathematics becomes a fun way to create art with hands-on experiences.

Hands-on construction of CD sculptures

by George Hart

In this workshop, the participants will learn polyhedral shapes and familiarize themselves with the geometrical ideas by constructing a mathematical structure. The mathematical sculpture will be constructed with CDs by taking advantage of the holes in the centers of the CDs and use cable ties as the assembly mechanism.

Click here for the more information.

Designing sculptures with Sculpture Generator

by Carlo Sequin

In this workshop, the attendees will learn the concepts behind Scherk-Collins sculptures. The attendees learn to use an interactive computer program, Sculpture Generator, which has been developed to visualize a large variety of Scherk-Collins sculptures with different configurations of saddle rings with different number of holes and different amounts of twists.

Click here, for more information.

Seeing in 3D

by Geoff Wyvill

Most people, even among technical draftsmen, designers and computer graphics programmers, find it very difficult to visualize 3D shapes well enough to reason about them. We demonstrate the problem and take participants through a series of exercises whereby they can begin to acquire this important practical skill. What is the distance between the non-intersecting diagonals of adjacent faces of a unit cube? If you do not understand the question or if you think the answer is half sqrt(2), you need this course.

Click here, for more information.

Persian Mosaics and Architecture

by Reza Sarhangi

In this one day workshop, the attendees will learn a variety of geometrical ideas behind behind the beauty of Persian mosaics and architecture. The workshop will include Platonic Solids using Zoom tool, understanding of star polygons using Geometer Sketchpad Software and learning Tessellation using Tessellation Exploration Software.

Click here, for more information.

The Art and Mathematics of Knots

by Nat Friedman

This workshop that shows how to teach children deep mathematical concepts with fun. In this workshop, the participants will learn various mathematical properties of knots with hands-on applications. The participants will also create soap film minimal surfaces using knot shaped frames.

Click here, for soap film minimal surfaces created using knot shaped frames.

Topological Smooth Surface Design

by Ergun Akleman, Vinod Srinivasan and Jianer Chen

This course introduces topology change operations such as Euler operations, insert and delete edges, splice. The participants will learn to use Euler equation to determine genus of the surface. The participants using the software developed by the organizers will learn how to connect and disconnect surfaces and increase and decrease genus using topology change operations. The software is freely available and can be used in a classroom.

Click here for more information.

Teaching Topological & Geometrical Concepts with Paper Strips

by Ergun Akleman and Jianer Chen

This course shows how to teach a wide variety of geometrical and topological concepts using paper stripes. With hands-on and fun projects, it is possible to convincingly illustrate mathematical concepts such as Gaussian curvature and vertex defect; Gauss-Bonnet theorem, orientable and non-orientable 2-manifolds, polygons in elliptic and hyperbolic space; projective plane and Klein bottle.

Click here for more information