Square One TV for today's fourth-grader
November 2, 2022 3:43 PM Subscribe
I loved Square One TV, the math show for elementary schoolers, sooo much when I was 9. But part of what I liked was that it made math seem sort of adult and hip to me, with references to MTV and pop culture. My kid would find all the cultural references completely baffling; I barely understood them in 1994. What kind of content exists to make recreational math seem at least a little cool that way for today's kid?
She just found out about the Fibonacci sequence from a standardized test, y'all. Everyone knows you're supposed to learn about it from a parrot! I have so many fond memories of the random facts and trivia I learned from Square One and I do feel like my kids never get to see that side of mathematics. It's never just entertainment to them, they always have to be engaging more actively and solving problems - but sometimes it's nice to just soak in a song about negative numbers.
Is this one of those things that just doesn't work any more because kids are so much less likely to share cultural touchpoints? What kinds of "sit back and chill" content are you showing your late-elementary-to-middle-schooler?
She just found out about the Fibonacci sequence from a standardized test, y'all. Everyone knows you're supposed to learn about it from a parrot! I have so many fond memories of the random facts and trivia I learned from Square One and I do feel like my kids never get to see that side of mathematics. It's never just entertainment to them, they always have to be engaging more actively and solving problems - but sometimes it's nice to just soak in a song about negative numbers.
Is this one of those things that just doesn't work any more because kids are so much less likely to share cultural touchpoints? What kinds of "sit back and chill" content are you showing your late-elementary-to-middle-schooler?
Oh, SciGirls is a STEM focused show aimed at tween girls, but I don't remember it as much. There are also some videos and full episodes on the PBS Kids website
posted by eckeric at 4:33 PM on November 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by eckeric at 4:33 PM on November 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
The sad news is that I don't think there's a replacement (although my kid did adore the MathMan clips on youtube, which are pretty funny even if you haven't played pacman.)
It's not the same thing at all, but have you checked out Vi Hart (here's some Fibonacci)? And the Ted Ed riddles might be slightly more middle school, but they're done super well (here's lions/wildebeests, which in my day was called the missionaries and cannibals problem.)
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 6:42 PM on November 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
It's not the same thing at all, but have you checked out Vi Hart (here's some Fibonacci)? And the Ted Ed riddles might be slightly more middle school, but they're done super well (here's lions/wildebeests, which in my day was called the missionaries and cannibals problem.)
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 6:42 PM on November 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah, seconding Vi Hart; Little eirias was entranced by their videos when she was in fourth grade.
posted by eirias at 1:18 AM on November 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by eirias at 1:18 AM on November 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
My kids learned all things STEM (some math, but not exclusively math) and much random knowledge from Fetch with Ruff Ruffman. It available on some streaming services. Such an impactful show for my kiddos!
posted by wherestheeraser at 8:16 AM on November 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by wherestheeraser at 8:16 AM on November 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
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My kid liked Odd Squad enough that she dressed as Ms. O for Halloween one year.
posted by eckeric at 4:23 PM on November 2, 2022 [1 favorite]