A warm welcome to all parents and CAMPers returning and new. This morning is the beginning of the week we all look forward to- Bard Math CAMP! Nervous excitement fills the lobby as CAMPers arrive.
They are first given the choice of which thrilling elective they would like to participate in later on in the day- so many good choices!
They then make their way to the art room where many games are at their discretion to warm up to the environment and meet new people.
Once staff have been introduced, the campers are split up and eagerly dismissed to the first class of the day- math! The Sine group goes with Frances and the Cosine group follows Japheth up to their corresponding classrooms.
The Sine group starts off the week with combinatorics. These CAMPers are faced with the starting question; “If everyone in the class shook hands with everyone else once, how many handshakes would there be in total?”
Everyone gets right to work testing possibilities and calculating outcomes before coming together as a collective to discuss findings. They are given more to think about with this question; Is there a pattern? How many patterns are there? This inquiry is demonstrated geometrically by creating a visual on the board and also by trying to create a formula.
CAMPers are then paired up with each pair getting their own combinatoric problem to solve together. The groups keenly work until the time runs out, excited to continue their findings in class tomorrow.
Simultaneously the Cosine group starts off with a fun math stretch to warm up their bodies and minds before jumping into silent ice breakers: CAMPers are faced with the challenge to line up in various ways (shortest to tallest, alphabetical order by first name, and birthday month and day) without speaking with each other.
Once names have been learned and seats have been found, the class jumps into discussion of circles. The CAMPers split into three groups, each with a large sheet of paper and markers. They review circumference, drawing a circle on their paper, then expand into talk of line segments, chords, and arcs.
They discover that if one line segment is drawn from one point on the circumference of a circle to another point on the circumference of the same circle, it creates a chord and two regions in that circle. If there are three points, then three chords are drawn yielding four regions. If there are four points, then six chords are drawn, yielding eight regions. Various regions include segments of the circle, triangles, and pentagons.
CAMPers are then given the opportunity to explore how many regions they can make in their circles with their groups and what polygons can be found when it comes to five points, six points, and seven points. They explore, observe, and make conjectures as a class, eager to continue their mathematical discussion tomorrow.
As CAMPers head to their second class of the day, questions still linger: Is there a pattern? Is there a formula?- Tune back in later on in the week to find out!
CAMPers split into two new groups; Tangent and Cotangent. The Tangent group explores computer science with Yulia while the Cotangent group goes to art class with Shoshi and Ariella.
In computer science the Tangent group uses an ice breaker to learn names and favorite computer science memories as well as fun new ice cream flavors to try. CAMPers then split up into pairs with one pair at each computer.
They use the “pair-programming” driver-navigator system to explore the coding language Python. They spend time taking turns getting familiar with the language to ensure that they are comfortable getting “errors”, and figuring out how to expand on their learnings later on in the week. For right now they focus on defining variables, comparing numbers, and figuring out how to use exponents in their coding.
CAMPers spend time as a collective discussing what they discovered using the Python command prompt, talking about different behaviors that they found. They discuss syntax, experimenting with code using trial and error to figure out formulas to use in their program. They end class by working to create a statement that will allow them to input a number and find out whether it’s even or odd.
In art class, the Cotangent group starts off with a fun ice breaker where they learn favorite numbers along with names. They then begin creating their very own die, keeping in mind that the formula of a die states that opposite sides must add up to 7. While decorating their die, they explore many questions: “How many different ways are there to number a die?” “What’s the probability you roll the same number twice? Three times?” “How could you roll two six-sided dice so that they have the same probabilities/outcomes as two standard six-sided dice, provided that one of the dice has no number larger than 4?”
They then use their die to create randomly generated drawings using a code that lines up numbers with what they draw and how many of that image they draw. They add a mathematical aspect to this activity by asking questions like “Out of five rolls, what’s the probability you get the same number twice? Twice in a row?” “What’s the probability that your plant has an even number of branches on top?” CAMPers end by cleaning up supplies and setting their work aside to be displayed on Friday for visiting parents.
CAMP then breaks for lunch where CAMPers choose between eating inside or outside to refuel before heading to one of the various electives they chose earlier.
Today’s electives are to experiment with shocking math magic tricks, create nifty shapes with origami, or to go outside and play lawn games for a physical aspect to recharge their brains.
Once electives are done, CAMPers head to their third and final class of the day with the Tangent group going to art class and the Cotangent group exploring computer science class.
The Tangent group get their turn to make and decorate dice and use them to generate random images. They’re faced with the same mathematical questions to ponder while they creatively challenge their brains and share fun riddles with each other.
The Cotangent group split up to create directions for Gemma “Beep Boop” Robot on how to draw a square on the board. With many giggles, they learn the importance of being specific in their coding and giving the correct amount of directions in the correct order so that they are interpreted in they way they want in order to get the intended outcome. The CAMPers then split into pairs using the “driver-navigator” system to explore coding in Python with three questions in mind: “How do you do arithmetic in Python?” “How do you compare values in Python?” “What do the “//” and “%” operators do?” CAMPers end with a full group discussion of what they learned and found using Python.
To end the day, all CAMPers gather in the art classroom to play more fun games while waiting to be picked up.
What an exciting first day at CAMP! We can not wait to see everyone again tomorrow for more fun and even more math!