Enjoying movies together is a favorite family activity, and if those movies incorporate math in an interesting and engaging way, all the better! To inspire a math student in your family, we recommend the following movies based on true stories and that feature math and/or mathematicians.

Note: The first three movies are rated PG and the last two are rated PG-13. We encourage you to use your own judgement about what movies are appropriate for your family. Common Sense Media offers free information about specific, age-appropriate topics in any movie. 

You may also enjoy the associated books as a good family read aloud.

Pepperoni...mushrooms...ham and pineapple… No matter what your preferred toppings, I think we can all agree that sometimes pizza is a necessity! On those days when you just need a slice (or two, or eight) of pizza, your math skills will help you figure out how to get it. This week’s word problem challenge illustrates that point by asking students to use their elementary math skills such as addition, subtraction, fractions, and conversion from gallons to cups to help a family get to a pizza restaurant.

See if you can solve this week’s challenge. Take your time determining your answer, then look below to check your solution with ours.

Challenge: A family drives 4 miles to get to a pizza restaurant. Their car can travel 32 miles per gallon of gasoline. How many cups of gasoline does it take to get to the pizza restaurant?
(Hint: There are 16 cups in a gallon.)

Take your time determining your answer, then look below to check your solution with ours.

Solution: Since the car can travel 32 miles per gallon of gasoline, 1 mile takes 1/32 of a gallon and 4 miles takes 4/32 = ⅛ of a gallon. A gallon is the same as 16 cups, so ⅛ of a gallon is ⅛ of 16 cups, which is 2 cups. So, it takes 2 cups of gasoline to get to the pizza restaurant.

As a young equestrian, Danielle Gersh became obsessed with how the weather affected her horses. Will the temperature dip low enough so that they’ll need blankets? Will the rain cause them to slip in a muddy riding ring?