Past Workshops
A – Programming by Picture
Ever wanted to try computer programming without learning a complicated programming language? Play with Scratch and learn computer science concepts in this interactive session. Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
B – Breaking the Code of Computer Information
All information in a digital device is stored as a sequence of zeros and ones known as bits. Figuring out what those bits mean depends on understanding the context and the rules for converting them into useful information. This can be a puzzle. In this session you will learn some of the keys to decoding bits into numbers, text and images.
C – How to Stay in Charge!
A schedule for power generation is produced every 5 minutes to ensure that the increased power when you charge your cellphone or turn on your lights in your room is available. The schedule is produced based on the lowest cost generation available and must also include back up power in case of a contingency, while respecting transmission limitations on the system. This session will give you a chance to determine the optimal solution to provide power to the province while keeping the costs low for the rate payers of Ontario.
D – Imagining a World Where Kim Kardashian Loves Math
Girls are outperforming boys in math classrooms – that should mean that women
enrollment in post-secondary programs requiring math is on the rise. Yet women are disproportionately represented in such programs and what’s more concerning is that despite increasing test scores, young women still profess in large numbers to be BAD at math. What’s the deal?!
enrollment in post-secondary programs requiring math is on the rise. Yet women are disproportionately represented in such programs and what’s more concerning is that despite increasing test scores, young women still profess in large numbers to be BAD at math. What’s the deal?!
This presentation explores the force exerting the most influence on teenage students: popular culture and media. Together we will explore how the media positions coolness, intelligence and femininity and how that in turn connects with the idea of ‘being a mathematician.’ We will explore how confidence in mathematical ability is closely tied to media that tells girls that they can’t possibly be good at math.
A – Programming by Picture
Ever wanted to try computer programming without learning a complicated programming language? Play with Scratch and learn computer science concepts in this interactive session. Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
B – Breaking the Code of Computer Information
All information in a digital device is stored as a sequence of zeros and ones known as bits. Figuring out what those bits mean depends on understanding the context and the rules for converting them into useful information. This can be a puzzle. In this session you will learn some of the keys to decoding bits into numbers, text and images.
C – Powering the Future
Electricity plays an important role in our everyday life. It allows us to switch on our lights, heat and cool our homes and use our appliances. Have you ever wondered where our electricity comes from and what types of energy resources will be powering our communities in the future? In this session, you will learn about the electric power system and experience what it is like to plan an electric power system for the next 10-20 years.
D – Imagining a World Where Kim Kardashian Loves Math
Girls are outperforming boys in math classrooms – that should mean that women
enrolment in post-secondary programs requiring math is on the rise. Yet women are disproportionately represented in such programs and what’s more concerning is that despite increasing test scores, young women still profess in large numbers to be BAD at math. What’s the deal?!
enrolment in post-secondary programs requiring math is on the rise. Yet women are disproportionately represented in such programs and what’s more concerning is that despite increasing test scores, young women still profess in large numbers to be BAD at math. What’s the deal?!
This presentation explores the force exerting the most influence on teenage students: popular culture and media. Together we will explore how the media positions coolness, intelligence and femininity and how that in turn connects with the idea of ‘being a mathematician.’ We will explore how confidence in mathematical ability is closely tied to media that tells girls that they can’t possibly be good at math.
A – Programming by Picture
Ever wanted to try computer programming without learning a complicated programming language? Play with Scratch and learn computer science concepts in this interactive session. Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
B – Connecting the Dots
How should organ donors and receivers be assigned to maximize the number of organ transplants?
What route should a recycling truck take in order to minimize the distance travelled? Come out and explore how we can solve these problems (and more!) using only “dots” and “lines”!
What route should a recycling truck take in order to minimize the distance travelled? Come out and explore how we can solve these problems (and more!) using only “dots” and “lines”!
C – Powering the Future
Electricity plays an important role in our everyday life. It allows us to switch on our lights, heat and cool our homes and use our appliances. Have you ever wondered where our electricity comes from and what types of energy resources will be powering our communities in the future? In this session, you will learn about the electric power system and experience what it is like to plan an electric power system for the next 10-20 years.
D – Get Creative! Why You’ll Love Designing Apps
Learn the basics behind your favourite apps! How does Snapchat work? What did they think about when they designed Instagram? What kind of data does Uber store? How does Gmail know which emails are junk and which aren’t? Attend this session to begin the journey of becoming an Appsert!!
A – Programming By Picture
Ever wanted to try computer programming without learning a complicated programming language? Play with Scratch and learn computer science concepts in this interactive session. Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
B – Connecting Mathematics and Computer Science
Many people think that there is a connection between Mathematics and Computer Science, but are unsure why. This session will work through a variety of problems that clearly show these connections along with a little history of both Computer Science and Mathematics. You may find out that if you like Math you might also like CS, and vice versa.
C – Powering the Future
Electricity plays an important role in our everyday life. It allows us to switch on our lights, heat and cool our homes and use our appliances. Have you ever wondered where our electricity comes from and what types of energy resources will be powering our communities in the future? In this session, you will learn about the electric power system and experience what it is like to plan an electric power system for the next 10-20 years.
D – Imagining a World Where Kim Kardashian Loves Math
Girls are outperforming boys in math classrooms – that should mean that women enrolment in post-secondary programs requiring math is on the rise. Yet women are disproportionately represented in such programs and what’s more concerning is that despite increasing test scores, young women still profess in large numbers to be BAD at math. What’s the deal?!
This presentation explores the force exerting the most influence on teenage students: popular culture and media. Together we will explore how the media positions coolness, intelligence and femininity and how that in turn connects with the idea of ‘being a mathematician.’ We will explore how confidence in mathematical ability is closely tied to media that tells girls that they can’t possibly be good at math.
A – Programming by Picture
Ever wanted to try computer programming without learning a complicated programming language? Play with Scratch and learn computer science concepts in this interactive session. Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
B – The Mathematics of Cooperation
Does it pay to be cooperative, aggressive or assertive when dealing with friends or strangers? How did some species of animals evolve to be cooperative? How can the mathematics of Game Theory help to tackle social problems related to the environment and public health?
C – Powering the Future
Electricity plays an important role in our everyday life. It allows us to switch on our lights, heat and cool our homes and use our appliances. Have you ever wondered where our electricity comes from and what types of energy resources will be powering our communities in the future? In this session, you will learn about the electric power system and experience what it is like to plan an electric power system for the next 10-20 years.
D – How Do You Solve a Problem Like …
Car manufacturing involves many complicated processes, requiring complex problem solving skills. If you are interested in how things are made, this session is for you. This session includes an explanation of how a car is built, and the many exciting career paths for engineering professionals in the automotive sector. The students will participate in an interactive and hands-on problem solving activity”.
A – Nice Things Come in Small Packages!
Did you know that more people have mobile phones than access to a toilet? This is why it is important to make your website mobile friendly. For this workshop, we are going to take a super complicated website and make it mobile friendly. No experience or prior knowledge necessary. This session will teach you how to design for multiple screen sizes and select content that makes sense for mobile devices.
B – Connecting the Dots
How should organ donors and receivers be assigned to maximize the number of organ transplants?
What route should a recycling truck take in order to minimize the distance travelled? Come out and explore how we can solve these problems (and more!) using only “dots” and “lines”!
What route should a recycling truck take in order to minimize the distance travelled? Come out and explore how we can solve these problems (and more!) using only “dots” and “lines”!
C – Who Needs A Calculator Anyway?
Most of us know what a calculator looks like and how it works. But who were the early ‘ancestors’ of modern calculators? We will explore and create various types of abaci – Russian abacus ,
Japanese soroban and Chinese suanpan – calculation aid devices that were used in ancient times, and are still being used in modern times for educational purposes.
Japanese soroban and Chinese suanpan – calculation aid devices that were used in ancient times, and are still being used in modern times for educational purposes.
D – This Little PIG Went To …
Have you ever seen a pig run? Or James Bond riding a pig? How do pigs behave? Come find out how this PIG travels down pipelines, cleaning and inspecting them along the way and improving the safety of the pipeline system. And … more!
A – Nice Things Come in Small Packages!
Did you know that more people have mobile phones than access to a toilet? This is why it is important to make your website mobile friendly. For this workshop, we are going to take a super complicated website and make it mobile friendly. No experience or prior knowledge necessary.
This session will teach you how to design for multiple screen sizes and select content that makes sense for mobile devices.
This session will teach you how to design for multiple screen sizes and select content that makes sense for mobile devices.
B – Connecting the Dots
How should organ donors and receivers be assigned to maximize the number of organ transplants? What route should a recycling truck take in order to minimize the distance travelled? Come out and explore how we can solve these problems (and more!) using only
“dots” and “lines”!
“dots” and “lines”!
C – Who Needs A Calculator Anyway?
Most of us know what a calculator looks like and how it works. But who were the early
‘ancestors’ of modern calculators? What did the devices look like in various countries and cultures? We will explore and create various types of abaci – Russian abacus, Japanese soroban and Chinese suanpan – calculation aid devices that were used in ancient times, and are still being used in modern times for pedagogical purposes.
‘ancestors’ of modern calculators? What did the devices look like in various countries and cultures? We will explore and create various types of abaci – Russian abacus, Japanese soroban and Chinese suanpan – calculation aid devices that were used in ancient times, and are still being used in modern times for pedagogical purposes.
D – This Little PIG Went To …
Have you ever seen a pig run? Or James Bond riding a pig? No, not the animal. Pig as in Pipeline
Inspection Gauge. Come find out how this device travels down pipelines, cleaning and inspecting them along the way and improving the safety of the pipeline system. And more!
Inspection Gauge. Come find out how this device travels down pipelines, cleaning and inspecting them along the way and improving the safety of the pipeline system. And more!
A – Computer Science – Learn to Count Like a Computer
At their essence a computer only knows two states – 1 and 0. Come to this session and learn to count, add and subtract like a computer. Discover how to convert from the decimal number system to the computer’s number system and back again. Find out about the hexadecimal number system too, and how you can use it to help design your web pages.
B – Combinatorics and Optimization – Elliptic Curves
Elliptic curves are curves with unusual geometric characteristics. The points on elliptic curves may be used to perform a unique and interesting arithmetic. Elliptic curves have many applications – they provide tools for cryptography that can be used to keep email transmissions confidential and prevent bank machine fraud. They were used in proving Fermat’s Last Theorem, a proof that eluded mathematicians for over 350 years. This session will explore the geometry and arithmetic of elliptic curves and their application to cryptography. Participants will use a Maple simulation to experiment with elliptic curves.
C – A Day in the Life of a “Math in Motion” Woman
Have you ever wondered what individuals in an engineering or computing field are like? What kind of education do they need, both in high school and university? What does their work entail and what aspects of their job do they really enjoy? This session will introduce you to two former
Durham students who are excited about meeting you and sharing their life stories.
Durham students who are excited about meeting you and sharing their life stories.
D – Products and People that Change Our Lives
Each day millions of people board airplanes for destinations around the world. What does it take to build an airplane? How do individuals and companies test to ensure the airplane is safe? Have you ever thought about the products and people who bring these ideas to life? This session is chock full of why things happen and how they relate to everyday life.
A – Programming by Picture
Ever wanted to try computer programming without learning a complicated programming language? Play with Scratch and learn computer science concepts in this interactive session.
Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
B – How Can Math Help the World?
Mathematicians collaborate with other experts to make new discoveries in medicine, help the environment, grow food efficiently and more. Come find out they use math to help the world in
BIG ways.
BIG ways.
C – May the Forces Be with You
Learn how structures resist the forces acting upon them and the design principles necessary to build strong and stable structures. Take on the challenge of designing, building and testing a free standing structure. In small teams, you will design a structure and “purchase” supplies in order to build it. Points will be awarded for design elements and strength.
D – This Little PIG Went To …
Have you ever seen a pig run? Or James Bond riding a pig? No, not the animal. Pig as in Pipeline
Inspection Gauge. Come find out how this device travels down pipelines, cleaning and inspecting them along the way and improving the safety of the pipeline system. And more!
Inspection Gauge. Come find out how this device travels down pipelines, cleaning and inspecting them along the way and improving the safety of the pipeline system. And more!
A – Programming by Picture
Ever wanted to try computer programming without learning a complicated programming language? Play with Scratch and learn computer science concepts in this interactive session.
Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
Scratch programming requires you to use your mathematical reasoning skills, creativity and pictures to create animated scenes.
B – Cracking Codes
Cryptography is the study of encoding and decoding messages so that they can be securely transferred between two people. Cryptography has been around for thousands of years but has become crucial in the last 30 years with the surge of electronic communication. The transmission of confidential information over the internet in on-line purchases, banking and email relies on the use of cryptographic schemes to ensure privacy.
We will look at the various cryptographic schemes used over the years from the first recorded scheme up to the far more secure schemes currently in use today. During the session, we will encode and exchange our own secret messages and try to crack the code!
We will look at the various cryptographic schemes used over the years from the first recorded scheme up to the far more secure schemes currently in use today. During the session, we will encode and exchange our own secret messages and try to crack the code!
C – May the Forces Be with You
Learn how structures resist the forces acting upon them and the design principles necessary to build strong and stable structures. Take on the challenge of designing, building and testing a free standing structure. In small teams, you will design a structure and “purchase” supplies in order to build it. Points will be awarded for design elements and strength.
D – Walks on the Wild Sides
Why are a mug and a doughnut the same? What is the connection between the number of faces, vertices and edges in a polyhedron? This presentation will help develop geometric intuition and include some hands-on activities, including playing tic-tack-toe on a torus.
A – Computer Science Without A Computer
Did you ever ask yourself what happens when you zip up a file? Were you ever worried that an email you sent might get jumbled up on route to the person that you were sending it to? Any process on the computer is an example of an algorithm at work. Algorithms are solutions to problems that can be developed away from a computer. In this session we will take a look at how information is represented on a computer and a standard algorithm used to compress data.
B – How Can Mathematics Help the World?
Mathematics has the power to help the world in big ways. We’ll look at how mathematics can be used in delivering babies, using alternate energy sources, protecting people from natural disasters and fighting cancer.
C – Water for the World (created by the Engineers Without Borders)
Water is vital for all human activities. The Earth is made up of mainly water, however less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use. During the Water for the World workshop you will learn about our need for water, water purification and the role of Canadians in protecting this natural resource.
D – Fun with Numbers
Math is a misunderstood science in that it is usually viewed as hard, dry and unpleasant. When you learn to view math as a game it becomes very enjoyable and engaging. It is then that you realize that it is more fun when it is difficult and challenging rather than easy. Participants will work at finding out the trick behind a “magic” trick (or two… or three…) and learn a trick (or two… or three…) about divisibility too. They will listen to a fable (or two.. or three..), and generally “HAVE
FUN” with numbers.
FUN” with numbers.
A – Is the Perfect Solution Always the Best Solution?
An algorithm is a set of step-by-step instructions to complete some task. We see them in every day life, and they are the basis of all computer programs. In this session we will investigate a common problem and design an algorithm to solve that problem. Then we will see if the algorithm gives us the best possible solution. Finally we will discuss whether or not getting the best possible solution is always essential to choosing an algorithm.
B – Cracking the Code
Cryptography is the study of encoding and decoding messages so that they can be securely transferred between two people. Cryptography has been around for thousands of years but has become crucial in the last 30 years with the surge of electronic communication. The transmission of confidential information over the internet in on-line purchases, banking and email relies on the use of cryptographic schemes to ensure privacy. We will look at the various cryptographic schemes used over the years from the first recorded scheme up to the far more secure schemes currently in use today. During the session, we will encode and exchange our own secret messages and try to crack the code!
C – Water for the World (created by the Engineers Without Borders)
Water is vital for all human activities. The Earth is made up of mainly water, however less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use. During the Water for the World workshop you will learn about our need for water, water purification and the role of Canadians in protecting this natural resource.
D – Fun with Numbers
Math is a misunderstood science in that it is usually viewed as hard, dry and unpleasant. When you learn to view math as a game it becomes very enjoyable and engaging. It is then that you realize that it is more fun when it is difficult and challenging rather than easy. Participants will work at finding out the trick behind a “magic” trick (or two… or three…) and learn a trick (or two… or three…) about divisibility too. They will listen to a fable (or two.. or three..), and generally “HAVE FUN” with numbers.
A – Looking for a Needle in a Hashtable
How do you find a name in a phonebook? How do you find a song on your playlist? How do you find an answer to a question on the web? Techniques that work well when you are searching for information within a small set of data, cause unacceptable delays when searching through millions, or billions, or even larger pieces of data on our computers. This session will look at the problem of searching in general as well as look at a specific way of storing information known as a hashtable that makes searching very efficient.
B – Cracking the Code
Cryptography is the study of encoding and decoding messages so that they can be securely transferred between two people. Cryptography has been around for thousands of years but has become crucial in the last 30 years with the surge of electronic communication. The transmission of confidential information over the internet in on-line purchases, banking and email relies on the use of cryptographic schemes to ensure privacy. We will look at the various cryptographic schemes used over the years from the first recorded scheme up to the far more secure schemes currently in use today. During the session, we will encode and exchange our own secret messages and try to crack the code!
C – Jeopardy Mathie Style
This seminar makes use of a Jeopardy like game show with all mathematical questions, trivia and challenges. Look what you can do if you develop your mathematical, logic and analytical skills.
Learn how this game has been developed using macros within Excel and have fun playing the game.
Learn how this game has been developed using macros within Excel and have fun playing the game.
D – Fun With Numbers
Math is a misunderstood science in that it is usually viewed as hard, dry and unpleasant. When you learn to view math as a game it becomes very enjoyable and engaging. It is then that you realize that it is more fun when it is difficult and challenging rather than easy. Participants will work at finding out the trick behind a “magic” trick (or two… or three…) and learn a trick (or two… or three…) about divisibility too. They will listen to a fable (or two.. or three..), and generally “HAVE
FUN” with numbers.
FUN” with numbers.
A – Computer Science Without a Computer
Have you ever wondered how a Google search works? Did you ever ask yourself what happens when you zip up a file? Were you ever worried that an email you sent might get jumbled up on route to the person that you were sending it to? Any process on the computer is an example of an algorithm at work.
Algorithms are solutions to problems that can be developed away from a computer. In this session we will take a look at one or two algorithms that are used to perform essential tasks on your computer.
Algorithms are solutions to problems that can be developed away from a computer. In this session we will take a look at one or two algorithms that are used to perform essential tasks on your computer.
B – Mathematics – More Than Just Arithmetic
The scope of mathematics is far-reaching and there are many interesting applications of the mathematics that is studied at university. We will see how traffic control, scheduling systems, archeological digs, secret codes and computer security are all handled by areas of mathematics such as linear algebra, calculus, graph theory and cryptography.
C – Engineering, Design Principles Applied Every Day
Have you ever wondered how an engineer creates a new item? Through a hands-on example, students will learn how engineers design and test new products, as well as develop an understanding for the design constraints we face every day.
D – The Interior Angles of a Triangle do NOT Sum to 180 Degrees!
Mathematics owes its evolution to critical thinking. Much of what we are taught in high school today(e.g. circles, acute angles, triangles, etc.) come from Euclidean geometry. Two new geometries, Spherical and Hyperbolic, have opened our minds to interesting results and they are becoming increasingly important in their role in modern science and technology. This session will challenge your thinking about the basic assumptions we are most familiar with.
A – Programming Basics using Flowcharts
Some of the most basic programming concepts include variables, branching and repetition.
These three concepts can all be explored using a tool called the Iconic Programmer. This program will allow you to draw flowcharts that can be easily translated into computer programs. Come to this session and find out what an algorithm is, and how you can build one visually.
These three concepts can all be explored using a tool called the Iconic Programmer. This program will allow you to draw flowcharts that can be easily translated into computer programs. Come to this session and find out what an algorithm is, and how you can build one visually.
B – Cryptography
Cryptography is the study of encoding and decoding messages so that they can be securely transferred between two people. Cryptography has been around for thousands of years but has become crucial in the last 30 years with the surge of electronic communication. The transmission of confidential information over the internet in on-line purchases, banking and email relies on the use of cryptographic schemes to ensure privacy.
We will look at the various cryptographic schemes used over the years from the first recorded scheme up to the far more secure schemes currently in use today. During the session, we will encode and exchange our own secret messages and try to crack the code!
We will look at the various cryptographic schemes used over the years from the first recorded scheme up to the far more secure schemes currently in use today. During the session, we will encode and exchange our own secret messages and try to crack the code!
C – A Day in the Life of a “Math in Motion” Woman
Have you ever wondered what individuals in an engineering or computing field are like? What kind of education do they need, both in high school and university? What does their work entail and what aspects of their job do they really enjoy? This session will introduce you to two former Durham students who are excited about meeting you and sharing their life stories.
D – Having Fun with Numbers
Math is a misunderstood science in that it is usually viewed as hard, dry and unpleasant. When you learn to view math as a game it becomes very enjoyable and engaging. It is then that you realize that it is more fun when it is difficult and challenging rather than easy. Participants will work at finding out the trick behind a “magic” trick (or two… or three…) and learn a trick (or two… or three…) about divisibility too. They will listen to a fable (or two.. or three..), and generally “HAVE FUN” with numbers.
A – Computer Science – Learn to Count Like a Computer
At their essence a computer only knows two states – 1 and 0. Come to this session and learn to count, add and subtract like a computer. Discover how to convert from the decimal number system to the computer’s number system and back again. Find out about the hexadecimal number system too, and how you can use it to help design your web pages.
B – Combinatorics and Optimization – Elliptic Curves
Elliptic curves are curves with unusual geometric characteristics. The points on elliptic curves may be used to perform a unique and interesting arithmetic. Elliptic curves have many applications – they provide tools for cryptography that can be used to keep email transmissions confidential and prevent bank machine fraud. They were used in proving Fermat’s Last Theorem, a proof that eluded mathematicians for over 350 years. This session will explore the geometry and arithmetic of elliptic curves and their application to cryptography. Participants will use a Maple simulation to experiment with elliptic curves.
C – A Day in the Life of a “Math in Motion” Woman
Have you ever wondered what individuals in an engineering or computing field are like? What kind of education do they need, both in high school and university? What does their work entail and what aspects of their job do they really enjoy? This session will introduce you to two former Durham students who are excited about meeting you and sharing their life stories.
D – Products and People that Change Our Lives
Each day millions of people board airplanes for destinations around the world. What does it take to build an airplane? How do individuals and companies test to ensure the airplane is safe? Have you ever thought about the products and people who bring these ideas to life? This session is chock full of why things happen and how they relate to everyday life.