Summer Think Program Fosters New Ways to Teach Math and Science
Engaging students with chemistry sometimes means swapping beakers for spatulas. Math for America (MƒA) Master Teachers Hayeon Rachel Jun and Laryssa Kramarchuk blend science and the culinary arts in their classrooms. Lessons have students hand-churning ice cream, growing rock candy and quantifying the hotness of peppers, all while studying the underlying scientific properties of these materials.
Jun and Kramarchuk shared these experiences with fellow math and science teachers last July at a three-day MƒA conference called “Summer Think.” Their session, “Kitchen Chemistry,” was one of many opportunities at the MƒA Summer Think for teachers to collaborate and share their ideas on how to engage students with mathematics and the sciences.
This inaugural summer series at MƒA’s New York City headquarters continued the organization’s mission of supporting outstanding teachers, which it does by fostering collaboration, offering professional growth opportunities and providing financial support to teachers. Importantly, all the sessions at Summer Think are led by and for teachers.
