Our programs transform the world’s perception of what learning mathematics can be.
More than 95% of teachers agree that our lessons make mathematics more approachable, enjoyable, and understandable.
TEACHERS: Be sure to check out our Community Page
We offer an ever-growing collection of curriculum-aligned mathematics lessons for you to explore with your wonderful mathematics learners.
Our favorite topic is EXPLODING DOTS. It has become a global mathematics phenomenon.
James Tanton's Exploding Dots
Exploding Dots is the stunning visual story of place-value as it permeates the entire K-12 mathematics curriculum. See and do grade-school arithmetic in astounding new light. See high school algebra conducted with natural, brilliant ease. And even connect to fascinating unsolved research questions baffling mathematicians to this day. All is incredibly accessible and open to all!
What Are Exploding Dots?
See that mathematics is dynamic and accessible and beautifully human!
More GMP Math
Do you know your personal polynomial?
Do you want to see a mathematical formula spells your name? Do you want to see a graph of your formula?
Check out this cool app that shows you your name in math!
See the geometry of angles in a brand new light! See a strange application to riding bicycles.
Topic: Angles in polygons and applications
Grades: All, but particular interest to middle school
Written guide for this Experience:
Student Handouts for this Experience:
Lesson 1: Welcome!
Welcome to a story about angles.
Lesson 2: What is an angle?
Loosely speaking, an angle is simply “an amount of turning.”
Lesson 3: Putting Pencil-Pushing to Use
People like to say that one full turn corresponds to 360 degrees.
Lesson 4: Martian Circle
How many degrees are in a Martian circle?
Lesson 5: Turning Once versus Turning Twice
One full turn is fundamentally difference from two full turns.
Lesson 6: It's all a lie!
A classic riddle.
Lesson 7: Inspiring Truth
When can we believe the marker?
Lesson 8: An Inescapable Area
The amazing, mind-blowing bicycle!
Lesson 9: Where did the bicycle go?
Another famous puzzle!
Welcome to a story about fractions, probability, and the infinite, all done through the deep play of garden walks!
Topic: Probability
Grades: All
Written guide for this Experience:
Student Handouts for this Experience:
Lesson 1: Welcome
Intro to garden paths
Lesson 2: Flipping Coins, Rolling Dice
We’ll talk more deeply about probability theory
Lesson 3: Infinite Garden Paths
Imagine a garden path with infinitely many forks.
Lesson 4: A Historic Start
Probability theory can, in one sense, be pinpointed to a single moment in time.
Lesson 5: What We Choose To Believe
An insight into chance and probability
Lesson 6: The Two Girl Paradox
A famous puzzle!
Does "And" Mean "Multiply"?
Creating a weighted garden path for this problem
Lesson 8: Infinite Garden Paths - Again!
A continuation on the idea of infinite garden paths
Lesson 9: Infinite Probability Problems
In depth analysis of infinite probability
One of the first - usually the first - non-straight-line graph one encounters in school is the graph of a quadratic equation.
Topic: Quadratic Equations
Grades: Middle School, High School
Written guide for this Experience:
Student Handouts for this Experience:
Lesson 1: Welcome
Some U-shaped graphs.
Lesson 2: Gravity and Galileo's Insight
Do heavier objects fall through the air faster?
Lesson 3: Sequences
Let’s do a “deep dive” into special sequences of numbers.
Lesson 4: Projectiles, Parabolas, and Non-Parabolas
Now back to Galileo.
Lesson 5: Debunking Patterns
Explaining why you shouldn't trust patterns
JOYOUS MATHEMATICS FROM THE GMP COMMUNITY
Here’s a collection of videos recommended by colleagues across the globe.
Some pieces are short and make for excellent classroom starters. Some are longer for the odd ten- or fifteen- moments of class time. Some are longer still for full class activity.
Have something to share?
Kids Explain Math!
Why are there only 13 Archimedean solids?
It's Simon's "magnum opus" for the year! Construction and proof! (See this follow-on video too for the full work.)
Goldfish & Robin and Antidots
It's subtraction in a 1 <--10 machine
Patterns in base three!
In this second video Tanu Learns explores codes in a 1 <--3 machine
Napier's Checkerboard and Square Roots
STH explains how to find square roots with counters.
STH explores and explains a Pile-Splitting Puzzle (Part I)
Fun for all to play and try
STH goes deeper with the Pile-Splitting Puzzle (Part II)
Now the math is advanced - and fun!
Goldfish & Robin explain polynomial division
It's Exploding Dots!
Goldfish & Robin explain Negabinary!
Have you played in base negative two?
Goldfish & Robin and Friends explain the 1 <--2 machine
It's their start to Exploding Dots!
From high-school sophomore, RW, from Massachusetts.
A stop-animation video explaining base conversation!
Goldfish & Robin talk about additon
They do it in many bases!
STH explains Schelling's Model
Both decrease one's bias and increase one's anti-bias!
Goldfish & Robin explore the 1 <--2 machine
The interplay between multiplication and division
It's pile-splitting video number 3.
STH has opened up an entire new universe of these puzzles!
Learn binary with Tanu Learns
Tanu Learns has her own story about how binary works!
Arithmetic
Baron Hannsz' easy Long Multiplication in Any Base!
HIGH SCHOOL: Polynomials: Let's combine Polynomials, Exploding Dots, and the Area Model for some multiplication magic!
A Square Root of Two cartoon from BEN ORLIN (introduced by James).
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Irrational Numbers: The inimitable Ben Orlin selected this gem of a cartoon to share.
Dots & Tods from GMP; Piles & Holes from MINDSETS
MIDDLE SCHOOL: Negative Numbers: Go from this teaser to the full experience: www.mindsets.com/global-math-project
How High can you Count on Your Fingers?
ALL AGES: Number Sense: The answer to the questions might surprise you!
Equations and Algebra
Completing the Square
HIGH SCHOOL: Quadratics: Eddie Woo, winner of Australia’s Local Hero Award, tells us about Completing the Square.
Factoring Simple Trinomials using Algebra Tiles
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Factoring: A visual approach to Factoring Trinomials.
Geometry
Alles is Wiskunde!
ALL AGES: Spatial Reasoning: Playing with modular origami.
Infinite Cake Anyone?
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Do we understand "area"? How is it that I seem to be generating infinite amounts of cake?
Mandelbulbs
MIDDLE and HIGHSCHOOL: Tom Rocks Maths goes on the hunt for a 3D Fractal!
Probability and Expected Values
The Surprising Math of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
ALL AGES: Counting and/or Probability: A curious word-counting phenomenon
Math Salute
The International Math Salute
ALL AGES: Problem Solving: James Tanton teaches James Grime the salute
The Salute in Tanzania
ALL AGES: Problem Solving: Experience exuberant joy!
The Salute Explained
ALL AGES: Problem Solving: James gives away the details
Riddles
The Cuddle Duddly Fuddly Wuddly Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
The Giant Cat Army Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
The Unstoppable Blob Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
The Wizard Standoff Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
The Time Travel Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
The Rogue AI Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
The Penniless Pilgrim Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
The Vampire Hunter Riddle
MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL: Puzzle: Stop the video before the puzzle is solved
Miscellaneous
Using Video Games to Improve Math Scores
EDUCATORS: GMP Co-Founder Dr Raj Shah gives some profound insights on math teaching in his latest TedEx piece.
