The mission of the Bridgeport Public Schools and its supporting community is to graduate every student college ready and

prepared to succeed in life.

 

 

 

 

This year the Athena Girls’ Math and Science Program is taking a new approach to mathematics that landed the girls an interview with National Public Radio (NPR) this past Monday.  The Athena girls are ready for some football!

 

After reading about the book Fantasy Football in Mathematics in a magazine for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Athena Program advisor and Winthrop math teacher Wendy Milson decided to give fantasy football a try.  Milson called the book’s author Dan Flockhart, a 20-year fantasy football player and 11-year math teacher, to request copies of the book and discuss her plans for the girls.  “[Flockhart] was amazed that I was doing this with an all-girl group because football is typically a male-oriented sport,” Milson said.  “This approach gets the girls more interested in math while having fun and learning about football.” 

 

The thesis behind Flockhart’s book is that students excel when learning in real-life settings.  He has used this resource in his classroom for several years and observed the positive impact it had on students’ attitudes toward mathematics.  He has developed a curriculum for Fantasy baseball, basketball, and soccer as well.  Throughout the year, student participants around the country fill out worksheets that accompany the program and create a well-rounded math experience.  The various 47 worksheets incorporate every aspect of math and compares scores to the state NCTM standards.

 

“This is an incredible way to teach,” Milson explained.  “The girls are having a great time.  They are getting very involved and I’m very proud of them.”  Thus far, the Athena girls have researched football players and made their draft picks.  During this past Monday’s interview with NPR, they discussed everything from their favorite players to which players they thought were the best looking.  “They are so excited, and during the interview they really flexed their math muscles,” Milson said.  NPR will conduct a follow-up interview with the girls when their final results are in and will air the full story near the end of football season. The Athena girls will also be featured in Flockhart’s upcoming documentary film that shows the impact of fantasy sports in learning environments.

 

Aside from math, Milson sees a variety of other benefits to this program.  “The girls are learning a lot about life,” she said. “They are also strengthening family relationships because many of them are getting help from their fathers and brothers.”  Milson is currently in the process of helping pilot an online version of Fantasy Football and Mathematics.

 

Best wishes to the Athena girls for a great season!  To learning more about Fantasy Sports and Mathematics, please visit www.fantasysportsmath.com.