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MARCH 20-26, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 5 Learning In Motion New Amazeum exhibit turns math into magic MONICA HOOPER NWA Democrat-Gazette G et moving with math? Believe it or not, it's a thing. The Scott Family Amazeum recently opened an active learning exhibit, "Math Moves! Experiencing Ratio and Proportion," which contains individual exhibits that allow kids and families to "playfully investigate ratios and proportions by using their bodies and gestures." Exhibits include interactive themes such as "shadow fractions," where kids make shadows with their bodies or other objects to see half, whole and double sizes by moving nearer and farther away from a light source. Kids and adults can also interact with different "partner motion" activities where they move in sync with rhythms and patterns that they can see on a screen. Similarly, another activity allows participants to compare their rate of motion by running parallel to one another while the differences are graphed in front of them. Other exhibits explore frequencies by allowing kids to turn knobs to manipulate sounds and spinning wheels to change rhythms. All together the exhibits give kids a chance to experience abstract concepts in real time. "We want families to playfully explore the experiences in 'Math Moves!' without being constrained by right or wrong answers," explains Paul Stolt, marketing manager for the Scott Family Amazeum. "That comes later in a formal math class. Our interest is letting children of all ages get hands- on experiences and begin to wonder why when they move this or turn that something happens; or when they place this next to something else, what they notice about the two items. "As they play, they begin to ask questions about how things work and make connections to things they have experienced in the real world," he continues. "The process of 'explore, discover, question and connect' builds skills that carry kids throughout their lives as they look for creative solutions." "I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent at each station! The playful activities had me thinking, moving around, and … at times … out of breath," enthuses Willard Keirn, who is part of the math faculty at Thaden School. "I appreciate how the stations tie in different ways to see, experience and appreciate the importance of ratios and proportional reasoning." Even children who aren't dealing with complex math concepts like frequencies have something to gain from the exhibit. "When kids have ownership over how they experience learning in an exhibit like 'Math Moves!' they approach the activities in a way that makes sense to them. Play is a powerful tool for building muscle memory," Stolt explains. "For example, when a child plays with an exhibit that scales to a grid, they hear, see and physically make proportions and [then] begin to understand the relationship between sizes, parts and wholes. Later in a classroom setting, they might do something similar, and they remember the activity." Teachers can replicate some of the concepts from the exhibits in their classrooms. "Moving kids from additive to multiplicative thinking is an important The "Circle Ratios" exhibit allows children to discover how the circumference of one circle relates to the circumference of another circle, by using tools to draw circles and watching the circles on a screen above the hands-on exhibit. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Monica Hooper) BENTONVILLE See Amazeum Page 6 FAQ 'Math Moves!' WHEN — Indefinitely; hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday & Wednes- day-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday WHERE — Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville COST — $10 for kids 2 and older INFO — amazeum.org BONUS — For spring break, the Amazeum will also be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 15 & March 22.