PUMAS (poo' • mas) -- is a collection of brief examples showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes can be used in interesting settings, including every day life.

The examples are written primarily by scientists, engineers, and other content experts having practical experience with the material. They are aimed mainly at classroom teachers, and are available to all interested parties via the PUMAS web site.

Our goal is to capture, for the benefit of pre-college education, the flavor of the vast experience that working scientists have with interesting and practical uses of math and science.

- Ralph Kahn
Pumas Editor and Founder

Featured PUMAS Example

Studies of a Population of Stars: Distances and Motions by Stephen J. Edberg
Make observations and use available data and simple calculations to correlate observations and data in the characterization of stars. In this activity, the distances of bright stars are calculated and their motions, in the plane of the sky and in three dimensions are illuminated.
(view this example)

View the Examples

There are currently 93 examples in the PUMAS Collection.
View the full listing, organized by Example title.

We are always looking for neat examples of Practical Uses of Math And Science.
Please contribute!