Marshmallow testing gives food for thought
HUDDLED around a compression press in a University of Southern Queensland laboratory, high school educators grinned as they squashed different brands of marshmallows.
They were testing variations in stress, strain and viscoelasticity, while simultaneously soaking up a potential new lesson to pass on to their students.
It was all part of the USQ maths teachers professional learning day, an opportunity for mathematics teachers to gain useful insight into how maths is applied in a range of fields.
Head of the agricultural, computational and environmental sciences school associate professor Linda Galligan said the 2018 program offered sessions with experts such as food science lecturer Dr Polly Burey and mathematics lecturer Daniel Crane.
“Educators learnt about topology, the study of geometrical properties and spatial relations unaffected by the continuous change of shape or size of figures, such as turning a doughnut into a coffee cup,” Ms Galligan said.
Pittsworth State High School teacher Sandy Hewett said she was inspired by the practicality of the lesson.
“I’ve been looking for something like this for an assignment,” she said.
“It’s really important to not just learn the method, but also be able to deliver in ways that spark interest.”
More than 15 schools attended the event, which coincided with the mathematics modelling symposium held in Tokyo.