Fermi Off the Wall Math League Program Information
Summer Session Begins July 10
The Famous Fermi Trojan Chicken:
Fill with eggs, please... chicken, duck, ostrich, T.Rex....?
The Fermi Off-the-Wall Math League is an internet-based math competition appropriate for enrichment, small group work and individuals wanting creative, technology-rich experiences. In its 13th year, the Fermi Math League is open to school districts and individual students world-wide. Join us as we play around with math, art and technology. A four-week Fermi Summer Session 2012 begins July 10. See information below.
Rules
Rubrics for Scoring
FAQs
Enter Archive
W12 Competition Enter here
Congratulations to the Winter Session Top Scorers
1-2: Team Smart, The Blake School, Wayzata MN 3-4: M3, Eagle Ridge Academy, Eden Prairie, MN
5-9: Bach Rocks, Fairmont, MN
So what is Fermi Math all about? What makes it Fermi?
A Fermi question is posed with limited information given.
How many water balloons would it take fill grandma's bathtub?
How many cockroaches will fill the trunk of a VW Beetle?
How much fabric would it take to make a camo-suit for Moby Dick?How many eggs would fit in the Trojan Horse's body?
A Fermi question requires that students ask many more questions.What are the approximate dimensions of the bathtub?
What kind of roaches? Gigantic tropical ones, or common German roaches?
Do you want that camo-suit with or without a hood?
What kind of eggs? Dinosaur eggs? Wren eggs? Duck eggs? ...and the list goes on.
A Fermi question emphasizes process rather than "the" answer.
A Fermi question demands communication and writing.
A Fermi question utilizes estimation, rounding numbers and guesses.
Does this sound like fun? Do you like to measure, estimate, and play around with technology? Love Powerpoint? Got a digital camera or a great camera on your phone? Fermites (Fermi students) access one Off-the-Wall problem per week online, work at the solution over the space of a week and a weekend. A model is constructed and added to the email entry as an attachment. Creativity and wild topics make Fermi an ideal solution for home enrichment, small groups, independent study or neighborhood fun. Any interested student may register and participate. No carpools or schedues to meet. Fermi is international...and very green! Summer Fermi is four weeks of supervised math mayhem.
Many schools are especially interested in constructed response activities to help students gain experience and practice with this math area as a part of their literacy standards. Fermi Math emphasizes writing about your math...ideal for the integration of subjects. Check out Fermi samples, rules, scoring rubrics, checklists, models and more. Fermi registration can be for teams, whole schools or archive only -> run your own competitions!
No car pools... Fermi is all internet/email based. You do not need to be in a gifted program to participate. Fermi Math is open to all. FAQs (frequently asked questions) page answers many questions. The four week Summer Session (Off-the-Wall Math) begins July 10. All are welcome to register. School-year Fermi welcomes individuals, teams or schools/districts. Group rates are available for schools as well. In the summer, however, all register individually, even if on teams.
≈ Students may work solo, or in teams up to four.
≈ No boundaries! Any student may register and compete.
≈ Divisions for grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 plus 6-9 regular and 6-9 "web designer" division≈ Grade 1/2 problems are "family math" oriented--parents and kids as partners
(Students register and pay fee; parents do not pay fee as partners).
≈ All work done on internet via email--no geographic restrictions, no carpools.
≈ Work with friends, classmates and neighbors and sybs.
≈ Passwords and usernames will be issued after registration is received.
≈ Model archive is available online to registered students and schools.
≈ Rules and tips are available to all online.
≈ All teams must register online and have an "alias" at registration. Plan ahead.
≈ Perfect as an enrichment model or for independent study; great small group or neighborhood activity.
≈ Great math fun for neighborhood kids and clubs.
≈ Prizes-- lovely orange medals, ribbons, certificates, fame, possible Nobel prizes...
Registration: Online registration for Summer Session opened March 14 (Pi Day: 3.14).
Upon registration, user names and passwords are issued via email confirmations. Schools wishing to use Fermi materials may pay a flat fee for the summer season 2012. Group rates are available for math classes and whole districts during the academic year. Archive-only use of Fermi Math is available to schools and districts who wish to run their own competitions.
Karen Newell
Intermediate District 287
Gifted Services
1820 Xenium Lane North
Plymouth, MN 5544
Questions? Please contact Karen Newell, 287 Academic Services; kmnewell@district287.org