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Get the Math
Pros: It makes math relevant and fun; kids will really get into the challenges because they're authentic.
Cons: Content is limited, there's no way for teachers to track progress, and the site is dated and no longer being updated.
Bottom Line: Proof that algebra is used to solve real problems in kid-approved professions: basketball, music, gaming, and fashion.
You might choose to use the setup video to introduce Get the Math, but many middle and high school students may find it a little cheesy. Instead, pick a topic, like Math in Fashion, and show that specific introduction video to the kids -- these videos are great, and kids will respond positively. Then let the kids work through the challenges in pairs, sharing a computer. You could use the follow-up challenges for each topic as an assessment, and make sure to check out the Teacher page for complete lesson plans aligned to the 2010 Common Core math standards and worksheets. Sample assessment questions for each unit are also provided.
Get the Math is a website that shows kids that math really is used in the real world. Short videos demonstrate how professionals use math in music, fashion, video games, restaurants, special effects, and even basketball. Using real people in their real-world examples, the site shares stories of how people and businesses use algebra in their daily lives. After watching the videos, kids can "Take the Challenge," tackling a math problem based on what they just saw, and when that's completed, there are further challenges on the same topic.
Standouts:
- Math in Videogames video - Watch a movie clip where a designer writes functions to create video games.
- Math in Videogames challenge - Plot a linear path so that your spaceship won't crash into the asteroid.
- Math in Music challenge - Use algebra to match up the tempos of the drum track with an instrumental sample.
Get the Math videos don't just loosely connect math to the real world; everything is specific and clear and presented in a totally relatable, fun way. Subjects are diverse, featuring many people of color and women in nontraditional industries. Some of the challenges are better than others; for the video game challenge, kids answer math questions in order to play a video game built by math, whereas it would be more authentic if they could create a function that in turn builds a small piece of a video game. The Math in Music challenge is an excellent example of a problem that's interesting and has multiple possible ways to get to the correct answer; kids use math to mix music along with hip-hop artists DoubleFlo. It provides just the right amount of structure and support while still leaving the kids space to puzzle it out themselves.
The fact that the site is a bit dated, and is no longer being maintained, does limit some of its functions and may also cause issues for students who are used to slicker interfaces. Some of the "real-world celebrities" featured may also not be known figures to students anymore.
Learning Rating
Overall Rating
Community Rating
Interesting set up, easy to use and navigate, something for everyone!
It is less useful as a teaching tool and more useful as a way to allow students to connect more with the material and how they can relate their interests to the lessons they are learning. It helps keep the students engaged and interested in the subject.
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