Outreach: Math Olympiad Classes 2022
Written by Aishu Gogi
The FRC Skywalkers instructed a free, in person 4-week course in preparation for the Math Olympiad Test. The Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle Schoolers Competition is the most influential and rigorous exam that tests the minds of young mathematicians to think out of the box. The MOEMS Competitions expand students' mathematical capabilities to enable their minds to think creatively and strategically. As a team, we worked ahead to guide these students to excel in the exam by training their minds to recollect their knowledge of past, recent, and new concepts they have covered in school. The instructors (Karthik Subramanian, Alejandro Estrella, Aishwarya Gogi, Enzo Emami, Ujjawal Prasad, Patrick) compiled a curriculum that covers the fundamental and advanced concepts in Math - Algebra, Geometry, probability, and permutations and combinations - decisively planned and organized by the instructors. By enabling young minds to think logically and genuinely, we helped take their intelligence to the next level by exploring the solid foundation of arithmetic concepts and introducing intriguing shortcuts to solving problems quicker.
Our 4-week split curriculum includes:
Week 1: PEMDAS, Types of digits, fractions, and ratios
Week 2: Continuation on fractions, Algebra, and Geometry
Week 3: Continuation in Algebra (w/ numbers), Counting, and Probability
Week 4: Final Test Review + any miscellaneous concepts
This weekly course was held on Saturdays from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. After each concept was covered in class, we went over practice problems that would help them recollect the concepts learned from the previous classes.
As the pandemic gradually recovers, our team took the initiative to plan out in-person classes to actively engage elementary and middle schoolers in testing their math skills. By being exposed to a new environment where there is physical interaction, we have not only taught math to students but helped them gain communication and cognitive thinking skills. The Skywalkers enjoyed having an interactive and engaging experience, and are eager to see future STEAMers contribute to shaping a better world!
