Instead of spending their weekend lounging around with friends, students will attend the annual California State University (CSU) sponsored Math Field Day at Fresno State on April 21 at 8:30 A.M. Students across the Central Valley will utilize their mathematical skills as they compete in a variety of events.
The CSU Fresno Mathematics Department states the purpose of Math Field Day is “to provide capable students with the opportunity to meet and compete with students from other schools and to receive the recognition that they so richly deserve.?
Michael Fenton, math teacher, expects to bring 70-100 students between the junior high and high school teams.
?I require students in all of my honors classes to attend because I want as many students to participate in the Math Field Day as possible,? Fenton said. ?I think it (Math Field Day) is a great opportunity for students to challenge themselves mathematically, to get a taste of some very difficult problems and to have some fun with math outside of the typical classroom environment.?
Participants may choose to compete in one of three events: Leap Frog (partner test), Mad Hatter (timed test) and the Game (strategy game). These competitions require students to employ different problem solving skills and techniques in order to complete the challenges. Students in honor classes who do not attend Math Field Day are required to write a paper on the history of math.
?Last year I competed in the Leap Frog competition and it was hard because it went up to calculus,? Ellie Wilhelm, ?08, said. ?This year I want to do the Mad Hatter competition because I am not very good at the Game and I want to try something else.?
Fenton has prepared this year?s Math Field Day team by holding in-class Game tournaments to decide competitors and giving the students Mad Hatter problems.
?More than our final place in the standings, I am interested in providing students with an opportunity to challenge themselves.? Fenton said.
Last year, the campus’ Math Field team took first place in the small school division.
For more information please read Suzanna Quiring’s April 25 article, Campus wins multiple math awards or Class questions math relevance.
