Here’s the slide show from the event, and the video replay.
Last time on Math Monday: Finger Twisters
Last Monday we played finger-twisting math games that explore symmetry, permutations, and problem solving. We learned the International math salute, explored symmetry by crossing our arms the wrong way, twisted our hands 720° while balancing a glass of water on our palm, drew different shapes in the air with our two hands at the same time, and ended with a trick involving two pen caps.
Here’s the slide show from the event, and the video replay.
Go deeper. Here’s James Tanton, creator of the Global Math Project, demonstrating the International Math Salute.
The cup-balancing arm-twisting movement is featured in Binasuan, a folk dance from the Philippines that is traditionally performed with full goblets of wine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5RN2P-0D3w
Here’s a video that explains the tricky move in the 2 pen-cap trick (you can also use two wine corks, two rooks, or two chapstick tubes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vnLa-5vml0