Eating Math at the Damascus Library!

A few weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of being able to do an author talk at the Damascus Library Sleep Over. Boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise! This cherished event has been going on for years and years– I forget just how many– and I believe the organizers when they say that families plan  around the date of this annual event. The kids were so excited (and so was I!). By the time I got there, they had already staked out their sleeping areas with sheets over the bookshelves to make ‘forts’ and cozy sleeping bags laid out on the floor underneath. I told the story of Fibonacci rabbits and then had participants make Fibonacci Snack Sticks. We next made a probability line where children had to answer questions like “Will you get extra allowance this week?” Or, “Will an alien pop out of the ceiling?” They stood at the appropriate point on the line: beside Mrs. No Way, next to Mr. Yes, or somewhere in between. To enhance the idea of probability, especially experimental and theoretical probability, participants sampled some tasty Probability Trail Mix (And learned about the mathematics of probability). All in all, it was a fun, fun, fun evening. Here are some pictures to prove the point!

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