Geometry Theorems in Sidewalk Chalk
| Published: December 13, 2010 – 8:33 pm
Sunday morning around 9:00 am, I was riding my bike up and down some of the steeper hills in the fabled Hollywood Hills, which are to be sure not far from home. I like to feel the burn and appreciate the focus that steep climbs require, arrrgghhh…
I came upon three 8th graders with chalk working along the curb of a very quiet neighborhood street. They were standing around a small box. They were all looking at the box and thinking. So, I thought, “Hey, maybe they’re about to blow something up (something in the box).” It turned out they were working on some geometry problems. They had a rectangle with diagonals in chalk. They were discussing which angle was equal to which, which triangles might be congruent, and a few other wonderful conclusions that might be drawn from this fundamental sketch.
I was and am just delighted thinking about it. They were working as a team, two girls and a boy, outdoors, with hand-drawn sketches of line segments, angles, and intersections– all with chalk on pavement. On this Sunday morning, some learning was happening right before my eyes. We talked for a bit about geometry and its importance in our daily lives and in the history of our civilization. I asked them if they knew or embraced the two fundamentals in Euclidian Geometry. They knew them, but perhaps not immediately. I went on, as I am wont to do about the planets, the Solar System, and our place in space. (Check out planetary.org.) After a bit, I realized that they recognized me, but were playing it cool. It was fun, after a fashion. I rode away.
I got back to the bottom of one of the steep hills and started for home. About a kilometer later, I thought, “I should go back and get a picture or two.” I turned around and climbed that steep hill again, this time from the other side. The kids were not around; maybe they were back inside tweeting and booking of Face. At any rate, they left their chalk drawing. While I was gone, they completed a record of the two fundamental rules in Euclidian Geometry right there on the street:
1) ⎢⎢ NEVER MEET [parallel lines]
2) X EQUAL [vertical angles are always]
If I may, how cool is that?
As I rode off, I shouted for the world to hear, “GEOMETRY RULES!!!”
wow that rocks. GEOMETRY RULES!!!!!!!!
Euclidian Geometry, something from math that’s, uh… I don’t get it!, due to gradient, derivative, and stuffs like that. Oh God, it is amazing! Geometry ROCKS (me)!
Bill Nye, my hero. Am a long-time elementary, science loving teacher. 2nd graders can be very clever. Thanks for all you’ve done to help make my job easier over the years.
I have learned alot in the past few years beacause of watching youre show.
Bill Nye, you are awesome, not many famous/popular people would take the time of day to stop and help students playing with chalk on the side of the street. YOUR AWESOME!
Wow, what a great experience. It sounds like that was one of those rare moments when the world and your place in it feels exactly right. Thanks so much for sharing!
HAHA those are my friends
[...] Sunday morning around 9:00 am, I was riding my bike up and down some of the steeper hills in the fabled Hollywood Hills, which are to be sure not far from home. I like to feel the burn and appreciate the focus that steep climbs require, arrrgghhh? I came upon three 8th graders with chalk Read More > [...]
[...] Sunday morning around 9:00 am, I was riding my bike up and down some of the steeper hills in the fabled Hollywood Hills, which are to be sure not far from home. I like to feel the burn and appreciate the focus that steep climbs require, arrrgghhh? I came upon three 8th graders with chalk Read More > [...]
[...] Sunday morning around 9:00 am, I was riding my bike up and down some of the steeper hills in the fabled Hollywood Hills, which are to be sure not far from home. I like to feel the burn and appreciate the focus that steep climbs require, arrrgghhh? I came upon three 8th graders with chalk Read More > [...]
[...] Sunday morning around 9:00 am, I was riding my bike up and down some of the steeper hills in the fabled Hollywood Hills, which are to be sure not far from home. I like to feel the burn and appreciate the focus that steep climbs require, arrrgghhh? I came upon three 8th graders with chalk Read More > [...]
that is the raddest.
Bill Nye Rules!!
Im only in 1st year of the academy and my whole class (me included) always love to watch bill nye the science guy in science. The boys in my class also always sing the opening song to your show. Im a girl but i loveeee bill nye i have learnt alot of things just by watching your show. It’s great xx
Bill Nye for President
I don’t know who the lucky one’s are. Bill for seeing something so amazing, inspiring, and beautiful, or those 3 8th graders who got to just have a chat about science by the side of the road with one of my heroes.
Hmmmm….
Great story, Bill Nye. I shared it on the Booking of Face!
Bill, it has been almost 6 months. More content!
That is amazing! I still remember the old days in elementary and middle school when the science teacher put on your videos. I’m in college now and although I’m far beyond the content you provide in those videos I still enjoy your work and I’m glad you still continue to inspire curious children like me.
When I read that story I remembered when I used to watch your videos in school!
BILL I LOVE UR VIDS there so cooL i LIke ti when U TAlk about the earths ROTATIN!!!!!!!!
That’s awesome!! I wish you walked up to me and taught me geometry!! I’m in eighth grade right now and that would be the coolest thing ever.
Bill. I loved your show when I was a kid, and now realize you have no faith in life – I and my kids are turning you off. You will probably not post this because you are afraid to admit your inability to have faith and believe in a higher power (reference commentary re: Creationism), but I had to express my opinion.
I know geometry rules but you cant do such stuff on public property you know. lol
~HS
Hi bill nye you know i want yo be a genuis? In china in teda international school we watch your videos and they are fun.
That is Awesome!
One of the doctors at the hospital, which I highly respected, said on religion ‘I am closer to God in my garden that anywhere I’ve ever been’. Your outreach, and Carl Sagan, have made it ever true just how wonderful this world and all creation works. We are an adaptive world. Over these many long years since God set up the chemistry and physics enabling the world as we know it, life has found a way to continue, sometimes evolving, such as our appendix or third molars(the fact that there are already people who have no sign of them ’cause we don’t ‘need them’)sometimes the gene pool being culled (u have heard that us girls have an ancient instinct to find sperm donors bigger, stronger, smarter, and as for birds more colorful) Science cannot open up all the secrets of this world in my lifetime. It is said in the bible that we will not know till we get to heaven, think the story of the dragonfly so common in the hands of mourners. I see His miracles more often appreciate them because I have a better understanding of what u call science. I wonder what name God would have given a set of properties that would grow and change/evolve? I believe He would have belived that with time we would apreciate it and take care of all we have and will have. Thank u Lisa