And the Oscar Goes to…Math!
By Deanna Hurn, Founder and Executive Director of Miracle Math Coaching
You gotta love the true story told in the new hit film, “Hidden Figures.”
In an early scene, a little girl stands at a chalkboard scribbling an equation that seems to go on forever. Although Katherine Johnson is pint-sized, her passion for Math is enormous. She grows up to be one of three African-American female mathematicians essential to NASA’s launching the first American into orbit around the earth.
It’s a phenomenal movie, perfect for showing children the power of pursuing a career in Math. What better way to connect fraction and multiplication homework to real life than through the movies? I wholeheartedly recommend taking your family to see “Hidden Figures.”
And here are a few other movies and videos that will show your kids how wonderful Math can be:
For Younger Children –
“Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land” (Available on YouTube)
The beloved Disney duck finds himself in a magical place, where he learns how Math plays an important role in art, anatomy, nature and the human body. At 27 minutes, the video is a good length for little ones with short attention spans. Rated G
A group of enterprising children, led by a boy named Matt, embark on a journey to protect “the motherboard” from a hacker. To do so, they take your own children through puzzles, quizzes and videos that teach Math and other subjects, such as the environment, holidays and health. Click on the website link, then the topic to find a menu that includes videos.
For Older Children and Teenagers
Little Man Tate (Available for purchase on iTunes)
A single Mom struggles to do right by her six-year-old son, who is a math and science genius. He solves complicated problems in his head and plays piano at the concert level, but he’s still a vulnerable little boy. Rated PG
Stand and Deliver (Available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon Prime)
The true story of Jaime Escalante, a high school Math teacher, who inspires his low-achieving students to master calculus. It’s a feel-good tale about the underdog triumphing in a world of derivatives and integrals. Rated PG
Moneyball (Available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon Prime)
Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane uses a mathematician to pick the players that take the team to the championships. Check out how statistics about home runs and batting averages can turn losers into winners. Rated PG-13
Math in the Movies – This video of clips shows the coolest scenes having to do with Math from several movies and television shows.
Remember to go see the wonderful film, “Hidden Figures.” What are your favorite movies where Math is the star?
And if you want to learn how to help your child excel academically, call Miracle Math at 707-398-3474. And definitely contact us for a FREE Learning Discovery Evaluation to see where your child stands academically and how we might help: Click here to sign up now. Miracle Math Coaching is an award-winning, student-focused service with a track record of boosting academic achievement.
