Whether you enjoy the summer experience of the local drive-ins, prefer sitting in the movie theater with your bucket of popcorn and surround sound or just want to hang out at home in your jammies, watching movies is a great summer activity for kids of all ages. Watching your favorite movie is fun, but it can also be a great educational tool to introduce or reinforce math to your child in a creative format.
Here are eight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related movies that will be great to watch on an easy summer evening or a hot summer day. Some of the movies are based on real people and events while others are fictional and take place in a fantasy world. Each of these movies show how the characters interest in STEM combined with curiosity and perseverance can make a positive difference.
- Hidden Figures (Rated PG) - Based on a book of the same name, this movie tells the true story of three African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA in the 1950s and 1960s as “human computers” and were instrumental in putting the first man in space. The movie shows how the women used their math brilliance to make history!
- Queen of Katwe (Rated PG) – This film highlights the true story of a 10-year-old African girl from Uganda who discovers the game of chess. Despite many personal obstacles she faces along the way, she goes on to become a chess champion. This movie demonstrates the importance of strategy, teamwork and critical thinking, skills that go hand in hand with math.
- The Magic School Bus Rides Again – Kids in Space (Rated TV-Y): Rebooted from the beloved PBS animated series “The Magic School Bus,” Ms. Frizzle younger sister Fiona has taken over her 4th grade science class. Ms. Fiona and her class use their imagination to take a field trip on their magic school bus (or rocket ship in this case) to learn about space at the International Space Station. The trip is full of twists and turns that will be sure to entertain and educate a younger audience.
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Rated PG-13) - This film tells the true story of a 13-year-old African boy from Malawi who learns how to build a windmill to provide water and electricity to his village after a dry season, saving his village from a devastating famine. Truly an inspiring story that shows how STEM can save lives and that you are never too young to make a difference!
- The Speed Cubers (Rated PG) – Remember the Rubik cube? Did you know there is a biannual world championship competition where young competitors from all over the world come together to see who can solve the Rubik’s cube in the fastest time? “The Speed Cubers” follows two champions, Max Parker and Feliks Zemdeg as they break world records and compete against each other. It also goes in depth about how to solve a Rubik’s cube (hint: algorithms) and what skills make the speedcubers so good!
- Apollo 13 (Rated PG) – If you’ve ever heard or uttered the phrase, “Houston, we have a problem,” we have this movie to thank. A great movie for history and space enthusiasts, the story of “Apollo 13” follows a crew in space on a mission to the moon. But, when the mission doesn’t go as planned, the crew must work together to get back to Earth safely.
- Bill Nye: Science Guy (Rated PG) - A staple of school classrooms of the 90s, “Bill Nye: Science Guy" recounts the history of the popular PBS TV series and the impact it had on getting a new generation of kids interested in science. It also discusses the causes Bill Nye is championing currently, such as fighting climate change.
- Dream Big: Engineering Our World (Rated G) - This documentary film dives into the importance of the field of engineering, highlighting the history behind some of the world's greatest structures, such as the Great Wall of China. It also interviews men and women engineers making a difference in the industry today to find out their inspiration behind becoming an engineer.
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Hopefully, these movies will inspire your child to see the value and possibilities in STEM. If your child needs more hands-on math experience, our Mathnasium center is here to help them see the real-world value of math. We offer expert in-center and online math instruction to students in grades 1 through 12 by offering tutoring that is tailored to their specific math goals and needs.
We offer summer sessions if you’re looking for math enrichment during summer break or are looking to help your child catch up and recover from a difficult school year. Whatever your child’s needs, reach out to us today to schedule a free math assessment for your child to get started on their math journey! Call or text 303-979-9077
(303) 979-9077
(303) 979-9077
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