The geometry of sunlight: An examination of naturally occurring parallel lines and the mathematical investigations they inspire

Completed
Friday, February 19th, 2021
11:00AM  PT
12:00PM MT
1:00PM CT
2:00PM ET
PRESENTED BY: Justin Dimmel


Sunlight provides a natural, renewable source of (effectively) parallel lines. In this talk, I discuss a collection of problems and a set of activities that use sunlight to engage students in geometry and trigonometry. The collection of problems was inspired by the history of nautical science and reclaims, for geometry, topics that are typically encountered in Earth science or social studies courses, e.g., the seasons, latitude/longitude. The set of activities concerns a geometric definition of multiplication and the realization of that definition in a physical tool. I consider how sunlight provides a contextualization for geometry that is relevant to and accessible by all learners.


Registration:
Registration is closed
Duration:
60 minutes
Format:
Online seminar via Zoom web meeting software with questions and discussion. Detailed instructions for joining the seminar will be emailed to registered participants.

Presenter(s):
Justin Dimmel
Presenter bio not available.

Leave a Reply