A Formula for Family Involvement in Learning Math

A national media campaign attempting to make math a family activity will begin today with the unveiling of 15 mathematical challenges aimed at the parents of middle school students.

Figure This!, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, poses questions illustrating middle-school-level mathematics that can be solved by parents and children working together.

One, for example, asks, “Do people with big hands have larger angles between their fingers?”

To find the answer, it suggests, “hold your hand so that your thumb and index finger form an ‘L.’ The angle formed measures about 90 degrees” regardless of whether your hand is large or small.

The campaign addresses the poor performance of American students on international math tests, said its coordinator, George Campbell, chairman and CEO of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.

Campbell said his organization already has a national campaign called Math Is Power that seeks to improve math offerings at the high school level.

The new focus on middle school students is meant to break the trend toward channeling students out of academic math in the eighth grade.

“They’re making decisions which preclude a whole range of careers, from investment banking to engineering,” Campbell said. “We’re just trying to persuade young people that they should keep their options open.”

Over the next two years, 80 challenges will be developed and disseminated under a $3-million government grant.

The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering is working with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Widmeyer-Baker Group and the Learning First Alliance.

To leverage the public support, the four organizations are asking private and nonprofit firms to reprint the materials on products and to use them for employee giveaways.

“We want you to print the challenges on the back of your cereal box, put the challenges on bus cards,” said project director Jason Smith. In the case of large companies, he said, “we would love it if you copied one or 15 and distributed them to your 90,000 employees.”

At a Washington news conference today to launch the campaign, GTE is expected to become the first private sponsor by announcing a $150,000 grant.

A printing of 20,000 copies will be mailed free to parents who call the campaign’s toll-free number, (877) GO-SOLVE. The challenges will also be posted on the Internet at https://www.figurethis.org.