5 Movies to Foster a Love of Math

5 Movies to Foster a Love of Math

Who doesn’t love family movie night? At Mathnasium of Bryan, we recommend including some movies with math themes in your family movie night mix.

Our favorite family-friendly and inspiring math movies are based on true stories. The ones we chose have math, either as part of the story, or are about mathematicians.

Note: We did our best to choose family-friendly movies, but please preview the movies to decide what is appropriate for your children. You can also read reviews about age appropriate topics of various movies on   www.commonsensemedia.org.

1. Hidden Figures- (PG) This movie tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who were black women in the South in the 1940’s working at NASA as “computers.” “Computer” was a job title for people who did calculations for various projects. The three women worked hard to break glass ceilings to achieve positions in white, male-dominated math fields.

We recommend this film to everyone, especially girls and minorities. Also, check out our previous article: Katherine Johnson-The NASA “Computer” who Broke Boundaries

2. Stand and Deliver (PG) This movie is based on the true story of the math teacher, Jaime Escalante, and his students. The kids at his school were failing math, but they beat all the odds with hard work and the help of a teacher who believed in them. They exemplify the concept of the growth mindset. With the Right Mindset, Math is FUN!

We recommend this movie for middle and high school students who say they aren’t any good at math or that they hate math. Warning: Hating Math is a Big Red Flag

3. Moneyball (PG-13) This movie shows how math can solve real problems. It is based on the true story of a major league baseball general manager. He changed the business of baseball by using mathematical analysis.

We recommend this movie for middle and high school students who don’t see math as useful.

4. The Theory of Everything (PG-13) This movie shows the personal and professional triumphs of famous cosmologist, Stephen Hawkins.  He persisted with his life and math-based science despite a debilitating disease.

We recommend this movie for middle and high school students who love math and science.

5. October Sky (PG) This movie is based on the true story of a boy inspired by Sputnik to use math and science as his ticket to a better life.

We recommend this movie for children who don’t see math and science as cool or fun.

Watch a movie with your children with an inspirational message about math and then talk with them regarding their feelings on the subject.

Mathnasium of Bryan is a great program for kids who love math, those that need a nudge in math, as well as those who may be struggling.

Have questions about our program? Click here The Mathnasium Method and give us a call today.

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