Magical math: Kenwood students discover math is magical — WITH VIDEO

Rick Charmoli | Cadillac News ÒMath magicianÓ Allan Head holds up some jumbled up hangers as students at Kenwood Elementary laugh. Students at all five Cadillac Area Public Schools attended the Math Magic assembly, which used magic and comedy to show the basic concepts of math.

CADILLAC — He may not be Harry Houdini but Allan Head knows how to make one thing disappear — the notion that math cannot be fun.

Students in all five Cadillac elementaries found out first hand this week that math is not all number crunching but also something fun and magical.

Click Here for Video

During the 45-minute presentation Math Magic, Head used various tricks to show the students how math is used with everyday things such as money, keeping time, temperature and even architecture. Wednesday he was at McKinley and Kenwood elementaries.

Kenwood second-grader Cassie Jordan said she liked to see the magic tricks especially the one where Head used hangers in place of magic rings.

“I liked the coat hangers because he didn’t hurt them with a saw,” she said.

The 7-year-old also said her favorite part of mathematics is doing story problems.

Classmate Tyler Joseph said he also liked the assembly. His favorite part was the trick with the magic wands and the American flag.

“I liked the trick with the flag because they got the colors mixed up and it was funny,” the 8-year-old said.

The Indianapolis resident travels to 225 schools every year across the Midwest including the states of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Head said it is important that children realize that math is all around them and the he believes the assembly helps to show that to them.

“It gets kids to realize it (math) is all around them. It used with money, time, weights, distances and temperature,” he said. “They love it (the assembly). They love the magic, they love the comedy and they love volunteering to help with tricks.”

Math Magic is a program that shows the basic concepts of math. It is a program designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and is presented by Dynamic West Assemblies, Inc.

rcharmoli@cadillacnews.com | 775-NEWS (6397)