A study by NWEA reveals that only 58% of US schools offer algebra by eighth grade, with access significantly lower in rural, high-poverty and predominantly Black or Latino schools. The study highlights that high-achieving Black students are less likely to be placed in eighth-grade algebra compared to their peers, attributing this to biased placement practices.

Nebraska schools are in the early stages of data science education, with only seven schools offering lessons or full programs, a report from Data Science 4 Everyone shows. The report highlights the importance of expanding data science education, especially as artificial intelligence grows, and suggests integrating data science into existing subjects such as math and science because of budget constraints.

Students from Wetumpka Elementary School in Alabama participated in a STEM field trip to a local roller skating rink, where they engaged in hands-on activities designed by retired teacher Tina Perdue. The program, STEMTASTIC, aligns with the state curriculum and includes lessons on potential and kinetic energy, Newton's third law of motion and engineering.

Educators are using a mix of modern technology and traditional methods to communicate with parents, according to a LinkedIn poll. While some teachers appreciate the accountability and transparency provided by tools such as Google Classroom and messaging apps, others find that parents are more responsive to text messages and paper notes.

You may have heard the old saying that an object's value is however much someone is willing to pay for it. Tuesday night, an unknown person decided at an auction that they were willing to pay $236.4 million for Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" painting, making it the second-most expensive painting ever sold at auction and the most expensive piece of modern art.

Make It a Math Lesson

"Value" in math could mean the result of a calculation or refer to where it appears in a number (place value).

Value in art is gauged by several decidedly subjective factors. (Do your students know the difference between subjective and objective and which one involves precise math?) Compare prices at the grocery store on three brands of Thanksgiving turkeys that are the same weight. What's different about them? What subjective or objective information gives the perception that they are worth different prices?

Do famous artists use math to make their paintings? This lesson developed by teachers in Spain explain the calculations that painters must make. For example, you want to have four people in the painting all on the right side of the canvas. Will the canvas  size you picked accommodate them all? If not, how many people would fit?

-- Diane Harrington