Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums How to start a math club?

Does anyone have any ideas on how to start a math club, be it at home or school? I'm considering something for the summer. I know a few mathy kids and thought something like this might reignite DS's fire for math.

I should add DS is almost 8.

Dazey

Tons of ideas here - I actually started city wide Math Circle at the local university. Will be back to report tonight

I'm anxious to hear, too.

I am too exhausted tonight to write. We had a school barbecue during which we were promoting the math club and geo club
Tomorrow we are doing 5K run during our city's annual marathon, so off to bed now. I promise I will write more - this is after all my current "life work"

I printed out info about many of the contests listed (cost, testing dates, registration deadline, etc.) that were pertinent to middle school. Total of 8 Contests (many with multiple tests)! I can ask the school or school board or maybe get donations to support the costs. Is meeting once per week for an hour is sufficient, or do you invite guests in to cover a topic?

I am currently working to organize an after-school math club at my dd's school for next year with our school's GT specialist. I think we have decided to do Math Olympiad (http://www.moems.org/).

My dd's school is a Title I school, so during part of the year after-school tutoring along with late bus transportation is provided. By having our math club on the same days as after-school tutoring, our gifted bus kids can participate in math club and have transportation home.

I am also working on a math grant for the school. I have requested funds for some Zome for the general population and some math books for the library along with the requested funds for the math club. I have learned that it is easier to get grant money if it benefits a large segment of the school population. In addition, there are special grants available for science and math education.

Summer

Which Zome kits would you start with?

Maybe I will post something from AWAY LAND.
We will see how internet works there.
Off to the concert then off for vacation.
See you back in Jyly guys!!!

For my dd, I ordered the naked Creator kit.

For the grant I am proposing a grade level set which is made up of six classroom sets. I defined a classroom set as enough Zome for 18 students to each make the following geometric shapes: Triangular Prism, Cube, Pentagonal Prism, Hexagonal Prism, Triangular Pyramid and Square Pyramid. A classroom set by this definition would consist of 2 Creator Kits plus an extra bag of Zome balls and an extra bag of short blue struts.

The Zome website recommends the following:
For A Classroom of 25:

2 Creator Kits allow for free-form activities for the entire class.
1 Creator Kit allows for free-form activities for up to 10 students, or targeted activities for up to 25.

TX Summer,

Are you working with an elementary or middle school? Are you writing the grant on behalf of the school (as a parent volunteer)? Are you also a teacher? Are you going to run the math club? I think I could do a lot of the leg work, but I don't know if I could run the middle school math club, and wish I could find someone really talented and enthusiastic.

Cym