Start a Math Club: Ideas & Initiatives

[JasonRox]

Alright, we are having our very first math club meeting tomorrow. We tried to start one last year, but it never really happened. No one took the iniative to get things going, so this year I want to make this happen.

I need some ideas on what a math club can do, something we can all do, like 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year.

I was thinking of things like spreading the word about math. Like, organize things to meet with high school students. Organize a table at the University Open House.

Math isn't known at our school, and it has it's reason, which is why I want to leave.

Even though I might leave the school, I would still like to mark mathematics with the school.

I also thought of just having study groups within the small club, like upper year teaching lower year, since teaching is the best learning tool.

Anyways, what are your ideas?

Note: It does not have to be based on math club experience. Any ideas are appreciated.

Note: Just hanging out and doing the odd thing will be mentionned. I'm just looking for goals the club can have.

 

[Gale]

Well, on our math team, to encourage people to come we had poker day, and we talked about stats probabilities and stuff and they bought candy and played with that. The math club I'm in at uni has guests speakers come and discuss new or old interesting math topics. we watch math related movies, (aparrently donald duck in math magic land is sposed to be real good?) we're also going to do a thing on the rubicks cube, and how to solve it. also, they have books of just logic problems, and unconventional math problems that are fun to hand out at the beginings of meetings and discuss at the end, cause then when people get a little bored they have something to do. and then you have something to discuss... or maybe give them out at the end of meetings for something to discuss next time.

so, that's all i can think of now, i'll let you know if i think of more later.

 

[JasonRox]

Yeah, having guest speakers would be really nice, especially from profs at other school's too.

Watching math related movies was something discussed last year, so I will mention that.

Thanks Gale, that was helpful.

 

[Astronuc]

Members of the math club could do or organize tutoring or be mentors.

Aside from that, when I was in high school, I belong to the math club ( Mu Alpha Theta ). We had meetings, sometimes with speakers, and we participated in competitions.

Are any of your members thinking of the Math Olympiad, or other competitions?

 

[JasonRox]

I'm not sure what the Math Olympiad is, but I thought of starting a Putnam Math Team when my math skills are improved. I don't think the club would be interested in that. After last year's short meeting, I don't see them wanting to join a competition. Half of the members were prospective teachers, and just taking the required math courses. They might be doing this just to throw something on their resume.

Yeah, organizing tutoring and mentoring is a great idea.

 

[Astronuc]

I'm not sure what the Math Olympiad is, but I thought of starting a Putnam Math Team when my math skills are improved. I don't think the club would be interested in that. After last year's short meeting, I don't see them wanting to join a competition. Half of the members were prospective teachers, and just taking the required math courses. They might be doing this just to throw something on their resume.

I thought there was a college level Olympiad, but I could be wrong. Anyway see -
http://imo.math.ca/ - Official site of International Mathematical Olympiad
and -
http://olympiads.win.tue.nl/imo/
http://www.unl.edu/amc/a-activities/a6-mosp/mosp.html

Well you could tutor high school students as well, or start a college level Math Olympid if there is no comparable entity.

One of the students I hired is majoring in mathematics at Harvard. He was often participating in math contests in the US. I will try to find more information if you are interested.

Yeah, organizing tutoring and mentoring is a great idea.

And refer them to PF. Make sure you get credit.

 

[neurocomp2003]

what school jason?
the olympiad in university is knkown as the putnam...actually there is no olympiad in north amerrican universities to my knoweldge, the only contest is the putnam
,and its hard though it grew easy over the years! you got to have a lot of dedicated students...i wrote it all 4 of my years ...it was fun! free lunch paid by the math dept.

anyways the first year that i wrote it one of the grad student suggested a book
unfortunally its stacked under a lot of my other books. its called
"problem solving" you should pick that up and go through chapter 1 through all the various proving technicque...it is missing a couple but its got a lot of them...

though for a first meeting that may be intense so like someone posted above its a
do a game or application...mm video games or 3D environments might be a good one.