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Math Museums

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - "Math has a bit of an image problem. It's often seen as hard, abstract and even pointless." So begins an article by Caralee Adams.

Fortunately, the Mo Math Museum in New York opened on the mathematically hip date of 12/12/12. It's the only place in the country devoted entirely to experiencing math in a hands-on way. And, it's one of the hottest tickets in the city.

One teacher said kids only see math as money. Cindy Lawrence, co-executive director wants people to see the creative, colorful, exploratory side.

Dancing in front of screens that illustrate fractals, finding out about cryptography and knot theory, fitting shapes into small boundaries is fun. The exhibits don't deal with test items but with concepts and packets are being developed to build stronger links with classwork.

At the Exploratorium in San Francisco kids play hopscotch in front of curved mirrors; at the Design Zone in Portland, Oregon, disc jockeys and video-game designers put together exciting real life examples.

Read more about math museums in Education Week.

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