Real-Life Math Challenge from Pixar

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Pixar teamed up with Khan Academy to create the coolest real life math challenge ever! And we're here to tell you about it. I watch social media closely and it's my job to share some of the hot topics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other outlets that teachers, principals, students, and parents are contributing.

Ever had a student ask “When will we use this in real life?” in the classroom or an administrator request that you incorporate the arts in a math lesson (or vise versa for art teachers)? Well, we have an answer. MindShift recently shared a tweet about a new group of videos from Khan Academy about Pixar animation. These videos explain how Pixar Studios uses math and science when animating their shorts and movies (hence the art incorporation). They call it Pixar in a box. Students are first introduced with a problem like “how do you animate a life-like old hand?” and the videos continue to explore the topic. The goal is to get students thinking about real life, engaging math applications rather than repeating calculation after calculation. Makes you wish you were still in school, right? You can read more about it here.

Have you seen these videos? What do you think? What are some other ways you've mixed liberal arts and STEM subjects? What are some other ways you've had students engage more with math?

Tori Pakizer is the Social Media Editor at SimpleK12.com. She writes regularly about the use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms, and specializes in how teachers use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media. You can follow Tori and SimpleK12 on Twitter @SimpleK12. If you have ideas for using social media in schools, please send your information or tip to editor@simplek12.com.