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

Cross Section and Slope by Lorraine Remer
I introduce the concept of contour plots in the PUMAS example called Contouring and Topo Maps. Contouring is a fun way to help students develop estimation and spatial visualization skills. With contouring you imagine yourself looking down at a landscape and trying to represent hills and valleys on a flat map. The next step is to try to visualize what you see if you take a vertical slice, a cross section, out of your landscape.
(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!