It’s about overcoming the fear of math problems, and having fun while doing it.
That’s the concept behind the Puzzles and Games Club, aimed at children in Grades 4-6, at the Okanagan Science Centre, which runs for eight sessions Tuesday afternoons from 3:15 to 5 p.m. from April 10 to May 29.
“So often, when presented with a problem, a student would say, ‘Oh, I can’t do that.” Without even giving it a try. I found if I could just get them to stop saying they couldn’t and try the problem, they could figure it out,” said executive director Jim Swingle, who previously taught math at Thompson Rivers University.
The club, Swingle said, aims to help students overcome their fears of math by turning it into a fun activity, game. puzzle or riddle.
Club members are tasked with solving serious dilemmas, including uncovering how many people on Earth are picking their noses right now, the area of the main gallery in square students, what supervillain stole the piranha Bitey McBiteface. The clues for these riddles are found in the form of graphs.
“At the Okanagan Science Centre we believe anyone can learn math—they just need a little help getting past that point of thinking it is something they aren’t good at,” Swingle said in a release. “And if you were wondering, about seven million people on Earth are picking their nose right now.”
Cost is $75 for members of the Okanagan Science Centre and $90 for non-members. Spots in the club are still available. For more information, visit www.okscience.ca or call us at 250-545-3644.
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