Math is so much more than just pages and pages of arithmetic.  But do the students believe that?  Many kids routinely ask why they need to know math and especially complex math like algebra.  It’s hard for them to see what math can do for them and what math has already done for our world.  That’s where we come in.  Family Engineering Night will show and involve kids in the fun side of math – the real-world things that math enables us to create and enjoy. 

S is for Science got involved in math because science and math are sister subjects.  Science uses math all the time, but the most tangible, obvious, ever-present product of math comes from the field of engineering.  Our Family Engineering Night gets kids involved in math and engineering with hands-on activities.  By the end of the evening, they’ll KNOW that math can lead to some really fun activities. 

We propose to produce an evening at your school where students and their families will enjoy math and begin to see how fun it is to apply math and math related concepts.  Specifically, our goals, in order of priority are: 

1. Students walk away saying and thinking, “Math and engineering can be fun! ”
2. Students witness some really interesting things, learn a little bit about why, and become curious.  We want them eager to learn more about math and Engineering.
3. Parents witness the energy and enthusiasm that their children have when learning about math, and are motivated to facilitate their interest at home and at school.
4. Parents see how their contributions to the PTA are generating value for the students and are encouraged to continue giving and being involved.

How it Works: 

1. We sign an agreement with your PTA.
2. You fill out a form so that we know everyone to contact for the project.
3. A month or two before the event, we have a telephone call with the PTA coordinator to review details.  Most important is:
   1. PTA securing 12 parent volunteers from 5:30 to 8PM on the day of the event, and;
   2. PTA and teacher promotion of the event so that lots and lots of families come.  The promotion for this event is just like other school events.  We will offer suggestions that can jazz it up, and that have worked well in the past.
4. A week before the event, we have another conference call, to review details about the multi-purpose room setup and other details.  Payment should be made by this time.  Our 2007/2008 fee is $800.
    
5. The day of the event, we arrive at around 3:30 PM and begin set up in the multi-purpose room.  On each of ten tables will be ten different stations, with apparatus or other hands-on items.  Two additional tables are for administrative purposes.
    
6. At 5:30 PM, our founder Mrs. Renee Sher (“Mrs. S”) will train the 12 volunteers on their jobs.  10 of them will be manning a table each, instructing students on what to do.  Two of them will be floaters.
    
7. At 6:30 PM the doors open and the kids flood in.  There is no lecture or welcome speech.  They just stream in and go to the table of their choice and start “playing”.  Some kids rotate through all tables while some get engrossed with one table and may stay there the entire night.  Mrs. S will be roaming around in her lab coat interacting with all the guests.  At each table, students can take a full color 3x5” engineering trading card that will help them remember what they witnessed at that table, explains it to them, and in some cases, suggests further activities that they can do at home.  Some tables have take-home “toys” for up to 300 students to create.
    
8. At 8 PM the event ends, the volunteers help with any clean-up, and we pack up our gear.  The janitor will have some work to do too.

Instructional Content

While the event is really fun and the students will think they are playing, we are engaging them with real math.  Our stations may vary from time to time, but the ten most current tables are: 

1. Measuring human body dimensions(measurement, proportions)
2. Flying hoop planes (flight, lift, drag)
3. Toothpick puzzles (logic, arithmetic)
4. Pattern Making (identifying patterns and series)
5. Moebius band  (topology)
6. Balancing Nails Puzzle (center of gravity, balancing point)
7. Gears (leverage, ratios)
8. Tangrams (spatial-visualization skills, congruency, similarity, symmetry)
9. Paper Bridge Challenge (spans, rigidity, load)
10. Cryptology (patterns)