Math Wings — Inspiring Math Through Flight

What Students Experience

Pre-K through 2nd grade students get a sneak peek into the world of flight.

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Hands-On, Playful Activities

Students fold and fly their own paper airplanes, choose call letters, and, using rudimentary math, measure exactly where each plane lands.

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Inspired by Real Flying

They explore a real pilot's flight bag, hear aviation stories, and learn about call letters that identify a plane, bringing a real-life application to what they're learning in the classroom.

What They Say

My pre-K class of very bright and curious five year olds had the immense pleasure of having Lucy Bachrack come to our classroom and share her passion for mathematics and flying. Lucy came well prepared with an amazing, warm introduction about herself. She brought her aviator sunglasses, her headset, a special pilot's map, and books with informational text which she read to the children. We learned so much about how pilots and the ground crew prepare for a flight. Lucy then taught us step by step how to make a paper airplane, complete with unique "call numbers." The children then conducted test flights and we measured distance. This activity was so fun! Lastly, she left every child with a toy airplane and the inspiration and belief that one day, they may become pilots, too!

Donna Goldschlag Teacher · Temple Solel, ECC

Hi, I'm Lucy

I am a rising senior at The Grauer School in Encinitas as well as a student pilot flying out of Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.

I have always loved math and planes. The connection to flying started at a very young age on a British Airways flight where a pilot invited me into the cockpit and asked what my favorite subject was. When I told him it was math, he responded "good thing because if you want to fly airplanes, you have to love math." His comment has stayed with me ever since.

I tutor fellow students in math and am often met with negativity for the subject. I wanted to try to change that mindset in younger students by sharing the excitement I have for not only math, but also of flying. Math Wings is my way of doing that through simple ideas and activities — creating inspiration for a subject that is neither irrelevant nor boring.