Relevant Math Articles to Share with Teens

I am always looking for extra little assignments that do not quite fit into the curriculum or require background knowledge.

When I find cool articles or resources that will interest teens, I keep them on file (or usually just paste the links onto those little computerized desktop sticky notes on my laptop) to save, and they always come in handy!

These are great for your emergency sub kit as printed articles, but also, now that kids are connected to their devices all the time, you can just put the link on your class web page.  Kids can access these as snow day assignments.

For those of you who offer quarterly projects or extra credit, this might work well for that too!

I also find that sometimes students (or math clubs) are interested in this type of thing just for fun! 

There are just so many uses for a good article that feels relevant to teens.  Just have them read and summarize for a quick no-prep assignment.

Choose a few that are appropriate for your students - I've included a few notes about what level each article is, so you do not have to browse through every one.

The Math Equations that Determine the Fate of Refugees

The equations in this one will definitely overwhelm most middle schoolers.  This is best for a high school level challenge, and can be awesome for connecting to current events.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/formula-european-union-refugee-crisis/404503/

Gaussian Curves - Applications in Pizza, Corrugated Metal, Grass, Eggs, & More

This one is awesome for any level.  There are math applications you can discuss at a higher level (hyperbolas, etc.) but everything is written in junior-high friendly language.  Perfect for any math class beyond 5th grade!

http://www.wired.com/2014/09/curvature-and-strength-empzeal/

Winning Strategy for "Rock, Paper, Scissors" (video)

This one is fun for 6th-8th grade.  It's just a quick video, but you can make some quick stats connections and fit it into a short class day or the end of a period.  The video is a little under 6 minutes.

http://digg.com/video/mathematic-strategies-that-will-help-you-win-at-rock-paper-scissors

Why Roller Coaster Loops are not Perfect Circles

This article is long and for older students, but is packed with information and amazing diagrams.  It really gets into the math and physics!

Reserve this for 11th or 12th grade students who are up for a challenge.  This is ideal for an end-of-the-quarter project.  Students can take time to really read it and try to understand at least part of the math and science concepts involved. 

Have them summarize the basic principles that the article covers.

http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/march42014/index.html

Why You Are Not "Bad at Math"

I love this article for developing growth mindset in middle school.  (And it can't hurt high school kids to see these facts, either!) 

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/the-myth-of-im-bad-at-math/280914/

For more about growth mindset, head back to this post.

The Math Principles Behind Juggling

The math in this article is perfect for Algebra 1.  It's a great one for around 8th to 10th grade.  It's not too long, but you can spend time looking at each of the 6 variables and the basic algebra equation that is shown.  A little video is also included on the page.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/20130509-model-behavior-the-mathematics-of-juggling/

The Story of Yitang Zhang & His Work on an "Unsolvable" Math Problem

This article is an incredible start to so many great discussions.  I love this one for persistence, the beauty of true mathematics, history of math, and so much more!

The biography part is long, but well suited for 8th grade and beyond (and maybe even some 7th graders).  It's ideal for students investigating primes and the Sieve of Eratosthenes.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/02/pursuit-beauty

Why Are Raindrops Mathematically Impossible? (video)

The video is super short, but a fun one for Algebra 2 / Pre-Calc students.

This one is best used as a quick add-on, unless you want students to do further research or watch it again while pausing frequently (it flies by!)

http://digg.com/video/why-raindrops-are-mathematically-impossible

We are Born with Math & Number Instincts

As a nice, simple article, this is great for 5th to 7th graders.  It shares research about babies' reaction to different numbers of dots and what it means about our "number crunching" brains.

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/02/we-are-instant-number-crunchers/

The Math Behind Computer Color Glitches (video)

This 4-minute video shows how Algebra concepts (roots, powers, etc.) fit into the way colors blend on a computer screen.  If the math is not done correctly, there is a common problem with the lines between colors!  The video goes into the specifics of the math.  This one is awesome for high school students, and so relevant!

http://digg.com/video/why-computer-color-is-broken

Card Shuffling Strategies

Persi Diaconis has been analyzing card shuffling, and now is attacking the toddler method: "smooshing" the cards all across the table! 

The article is long, but can be used pretty broadly across grade levels.  It's an interesting look into one mathematician and his very specific studies in randomizing.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/20150414-for-persi-diaconis-next-magic-trick/

Pascal's Triangle - The Beauty & Secrets of Mathematics (video)

This video is so well done.  It goes into binomial coefficients, which is beyond many middle schoolers, but is still a good one to show them.  There is still plenty that they can understand that you can focus on.  I love how this shows all the amazing mysteries of Pascal's Triangle.  It will get students of any age interested and engaged with the math.

http://digg.com/video/pascals-triangle-explained-video

A Playable Polygon "Parable"

This last one is absolutely fascinating to try, and does have math applications.  It is a great discussion starter for teenagers.  The click-and-drag interactive article shows the effects of diversity in society using little triangles and squares.  Very interesting!

http://ncase.me/polygons/

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I hope your students enjoy these!  I have so much fun collecting links like this, and am always looking for more.  Feel free to share additional articles that you have found in the comments, so we can keep our collection growing!

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