1. Home
  2. Material Detail: The Simpsons Math

Material Detail

"The Simpsons Math" icon

The Simpsons Math

The sitcom, "The Simpsons" "contains over a hundred instances of mathematics ranging from arithmetic to geometry to calculus, many designed to expose and poke fun at innumeracy." This site offers several "ways to introduce important concepts to students, and to reduce math anxiety and motivate students in courses for non-majors."
Disciplines:
Go to Material 
Bookmark / Add to Course ePortfolio
Create a Learning Exercise
Add Accessibility Information
Rate
Add a Comment

Quality

More about this material

Material Type:
Presentation
Date Added to MERLOT:
May 7, 2006
Date Modified in MERLOT:
June 12, 2018
Author:
 
Submitter:
Elizabeth (Beth) Smith
Primary Audience:
High School, College General Ed
Technical Format:
Website
Mobile Compatibility:
Not specified at this time
Language:
English
Cost Involved:
No
Source Code Available:
No
Accessibility Information Available:
Unknown
Creative Commons:
No

Browse...

Disciplines with similar materials as The Simpsons Math
People who viewed this also viewed
Other materials like The Simpsons Math

Comments

Log in to participate in the discussions or sign up if you are not already a MERLOT member.
Jonathan Murphy
Jonathan Murphy (null)
13 years ago
This is an great site for getting students who normally aren't interested in math beyond the Arithmetic/Algebra level to learn in a way that is both simple and fun. Everyone in this generation has seen or heard of "The Simpsons". This site talks about most of if not all the math that appears on the show as well as give a lot more in depth explanation of what it all means. They even have math used in Futurama included for the fans of that show.

Technical Remarks:

This website for the most part very easy to navigate. Every topic was separated into different categories. There were images as well as excerpts from the show script included, as well as the mathematical background's of the writers. They also included links to articles talking specifically about the math used in the show as well as quizzes and games. Overall, it was easy to use and navigate.
Time spent reviewing site: I spent roughly twenty minutes exploring every topic on the site.
David Fink
David Fink (Faculty)
14 years ago
Although you may not be able to teach a complete class using this kind of approach, a high school or middle school student could be enticed during an introduction for a unit or an anticipatory set for a lesson. Students would be excited to see that math is incorporated into a silly TV show they watch. The questions created for each of the math scenes in The Simpsons are thought provoking and allow students to think critically about a topic. The questions posed 3D vs. 2D I believe will intrigue students and is something that is visually seen in the episode. Also, showing students how pi is incorporated into The Simpsons and then following up with the questions that are given on the site can engage students in a topic that might usually be bland.

Technical Remarks:

I only find problems with finding the exact Simpsons episode that incorporates the math. There are collections but some of them are missing episodes.