Alaskan Math – Sledding – Igloo Cabin Trip

[David Thomas]

In what has become a annual event, we took the Kenai Middle School math team on a 3-day, snow, math, sledding, igloo, games, winter cabin trip in late January.  48 miles north of Seward, a non-profit has restored a historic cabin and rents it out to its membership (educational groups get a priority).

The cabin itself has kitchen facilities and seating for about 15 people.  Additionally, there are two modern yurts with wood stove / propane heaters that sleep about 8 each;

so we had a boy’s yurt and a girl’s yurt.

It’s a 2 km hike/ski in from the highway and there were great snow conditions: no one had been over the last 6 inches that had fallen the previous week.  Friday night, we got the cabin warmed up, dinner made, math done, games played,

and dishes washed:

I’ll post Saturday and Sunday activities in the next post.

[David Thomas]

After Breakfast on Saturday morning and another round of math, the kids got into snow clothes and went out for sledding on a nearby hill:

and started constructing an igloo with special forms:

there’s an adjustable rod going back to the center point, an inside, an outside and an end form with a release mechanism.  You pack it full of snow, release it, and reset it one unit further along.  It ended up being 8 feet in diameter and was very windless and noticeable warmer inside.  It surprised us how much sunlight came through the snow.

Then it was back to the cabin for lunch and an avalanche class by a staffer with the National Forest followed by a practice session with avalanche beacons.  More math, dinner, s’mores, and math went into the night.  Those who braved the 11F night could gaze at a very clear, detailed moon through an 8-inch reflecting telescope next to the campfire:

Sunday morning, we did some more math, cleaned up the yurts and cabin, and got the gear packed back onto the sleds.

Not a very UL trip, but they learned some snow-camping and snow-travel skills in a comfortable setting and developed more espirit-de-corps as a team and social group.  My own high-school Math Club always had the coolest trips of any student group and I think it’s great we can start that in middle school now.

And at the regional competition earlier this month, they came in Second so they are going on to the State Finals in late March.

[David Thomas]

And I know you all want to play along at home, so here are some sample problems for 12- and 13-year olds:

[Franco Darioli]

I had one of those Celestron C8 when in NZ.
The sky was clear enough there but not comparable to what you would have had .
Great outing !

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

I am always impressed about how you help to mentor these kids.  Keep up the great work!

25) 3/8

26) I found 28 triangles

27) 1936

28) 1 hour 40 minutes

29) 576 units

30) 9/20 (spitballing here)

[Jerry Adams]

nice David!

3/8

[David Thomas]

25) 3/8 – yes.

26) more

27) in 1936, he observed that to be true, but his birth year is requested.

28) longer

29) it’s the tetrahedron, not a triangular prism.

30) much less likely.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

26) now I have 36

28) 2 hours (had to get the pencil out)

29)

30) darn word problems 27/8000?  Probably wrong

 

[Franco Darioli]

I was impressed by the igloo.
I break out in a sweat just thinking about it and that is no good at all.

[Author]

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