Sioux Center, Iowa — Some northwest Iowa high school students competed recently in a math competition at a northwest Iowa institution of higher learning.
Dordt University officials tell us that more than 200 high school students from 14 area high schools competed in the Dordt University Math Challenge.
They say that the students tested their mathematical creativity with novel problems on two exams. They also engaged in breakout sessions that were led by Dordt mathematics and statistics professors with assistance from secondary mathematics education majors.
Dr. Tom Clark, who teaches mathematics at Dordt says that part of Dordt’s mission is to equip the broader community, so Dordt is called to bring the joy of God’s gift of mathematics to area high school students. He says, “We can help them realize how creative mathematical problem solving can be and experience the breadth of mathematics. The event also gives our math-education majors a chance to interact with students and develop as teachers in training.”
Dordt officials tell us that during the breakout sessions, students used math to decipher clues related to a murder mystery; explored puzzles related to infinity; and learned about the math behind games involving dice. Students played a reenacting game involving the use of mathematics and physics that govern the atmosphere, which predicted weather patterns decades before the first computers were developed.
A session led by a K-12 outreach member of the National Security Agency taught students basic cryptology terminology and techniques. The students also recreated Galileo’s experiments using bowling balls in Dordt’s engineering high bay.
Clark says it’s their hope that these students come away thinking that Dordt is a place where they will find a meaningful challenge and be supported for success.
Participating Schools
Brandon Valley High School: Brandon, South Dakota
Lawton-Bronson High School: Lawton, Iowa
MOC-FV High School: Orange City, Iowa
Parker High School: Parker, South Dakota
River Valley High School: Correctionville, Iowa
Sioux Center High School: Sioux Center, Iowa
Sioux City West High School: Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux Falls Christian High School: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls Lutheran High School: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Southwest Minnesota Christian High School: Edgerton, Minnesota
Unity Christian High School: Orange City, Iowa
West Monona High School: Onawa, Iowa
Western Christian High School: Hull, Iowa
Individual results
Ninth grade:
Parker High School
Western Christian High School
Brandon Valley High School
Tenth grade:
Unity Christian High School (Tie)
Western Christian High School (Tie)
Sioux Center High School
Eleventh grade:
Brandon Valley High School
Western Christian High School
Brandon Valley High School
Twelfth grade:
Unity Christian High School
Unity Christian High School (Tie)
Brandon Valley High School (Tie)
Team results
Unity Christian High School
Brandon Valley High School
Lawton-Bronson High School
