GetLitMath makes math relevant and real with interesting lesson plans and current events to bring the math standards to life. Daily post of news stories to engage learners.
Translating Plant Bioelectric Signals into Music
This is fascinating! The quiet sounds of plants turned into beautiful sounds. The bioelectric signals of plants growing at a park in Lewiston, NY., near Niagara Falls, were translated into instrumental and electronic works for the new album The Secret Symphony of Plants. https://www.npr.org/2025/11/13/nx-s1-5588498/music-plants-artpark-lewiston-new-york
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No mode for a song sparrow’s song
Song sparrows have a diverse repertoire of songs and do not appear to overuse any of them. Rather than repeatedly practicing the same song, they pressed the shuffle button. When it comes to song sparrow music, there is no mode. What other measures of central tendency best describe the behavior of a song sparrow?
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New Mothers= Free Money
Observational study on the effects of unconditional stipends on low-income families.
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A New Normal For Temperature
New normal for what the temperature changed because NOAA updated the temperature average that meteorologist use. The baseline for normal weather from 1981-2010 was 52.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The new baseline from 1991-2020 is 53.3 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a 1.5-degree Fahrenheit increase. While this may not appear to be big jump, it is easy to…
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Ranked Choice Voting
Ranked choice voting is gaining attention in the NY Mayor’s race. In the United States we are accustomed to one vote for one person per office. However, ranked voting is more complicated, as voters can rank who they want for a single office. Let’s take a look at how it works! Source: NPR If someone…
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Synchrony of Fireflies
Fireflies, Photinus carolinus, dazzle with a spectacular light show each summer. There is math intertwined in this beauty. Scientists have discovered that they exhibit synchronous behavior. According to Steven Strogatz, a Cornell University mathematician, the flashing is an enormous system oscillators, things that have a rhythm and go through a cycle. Their team spent several…
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Aren’t We Due One?
Oftentimes people believe in the misconception of the “law of averages” that you are due one. After seven straight boys, parents may think they are due a girl. Unfortunately, having a child is like tossing a coin. There is 50% chance for heads and a 50% chance for tails. This same logic applies to giving…
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The Most Scenic Drives According to Instagram Data
7 million Instagram hashtags were analyzed to find the most stunning road trips across the globe. The data is presented as a slope, pictures per mile. The road trips are ranked by greatest pictures per mile to the least pictures per mile. Big Sur, USA is 5, 225 pictures per mile. Compare that with Great…
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Ethics in Experiments
This lesson will address The Tuskegee Experiment and Henrietta Lacks. The guided questions can be answered while watching the video.
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The Pandemic of Work-From-Home Injuries
Many people are sustaining injuries working from home during the pandemic. This is an excellent story to get students to think about the ergonomic design of work stations. The attached document is a great warm up to understanding how geometry works in ergonomic design. Human Factors and Safety Engineering What types of triangles do you…
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Nerdy Norm Parabola
This is a really cute student created power point on parabolas. This story has been shared with numerous mathematics teachers and students. Your students will enjoy this and remember more about the parent function of y=x^2.
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Flatland
The book Flatland by Edwin Abbott was adapted into a movie. This book is an excellent example of social satire that examines social status and gender. The guided questions and discussion will lead students through recognizing these similarities. The lead protagonist is a square and a member of the caste of gentlemen and professionals. Women…
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Courtroom Statistics
The United States of America vs. Kristin Gilbert is a fascinating case in hypothesis testing by Gelbach. In the case there was a suspicious numbers of deaths at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, the investigators wanted to know if the number of deaths that occurred when Kristen Gilbert was on duty was so unlikely that…
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Skittles Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing
Take a virtual trip to the Wrigley’s manufacturing facility to see the normal distribution in real life. This activity students will discover how six sigma manufacturing applies to the normal distribution curve. Fun size skittle packet for each student will be needed.
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FDA continues investigation into dog heart damage linked to diet
The following questions can guide a class discussion after reading this article. Many students might find this fascinating if they are pet owners. Take a poll of the type of dog food that is given to the animals. 1. What two variables are being compared? 2. What are possible lurking or confounding variables? 3. This…
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