One hundred school students enjoyed seeing “The topological pirates” theater play on 8th October 2014 at the University of Chile. The play was mounted within the III Festival Exacta, activity sponsored by the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) with the objective to encourage and arose the interest of the school students in Mathematics.
Students of five schools of Santiago attended this event. Jocelyn Bernal, teacher at the School “Las Américas” of La Pintana comunne, pointed out: “it is very productive. Since our children have scarce resources, approaching to theater is a new experience”. Indeed, for one of her students, Tiare Acevedo, it is a source of inspiration: “I would like to present a project about topology in the engineering festival of my school. I find great the possibility to have things that can change their own shape”.
Angélica Caroca, teacher at the School “Leonardo Murialdo”, from Recoleta, highlighted: “It is a way to acquire knowledge. Learning at the classroom is different than at the theatre”. So, the director of the play, Aldo la Barra, explained: “Topology was chosen because it is a topic that includes many visual elements”.
The story tells about an outstanding scientist, specialist in topology. In order to recover her ideas, which are locked in a science gallery owned by an old friend, she hired two petty robbers. While committing the crime, they encountered the guide and the guard. Therefore, several tragicomic situations related to topological figures happened.
Several members of the CMM also attended the event. Michael Schraudner, researcher at the Center, applauded that a play´s message was “rescuing scientific ideas that have been stolen”.
This play is framed within the Festival Exacta, addressed to all the Mathematics School Championship (CMAT) community: students, teachers, families and employees. This 2014 edition was focused on geometry, a branch of mathematics closely related to topology.
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