What Do 350+ Years of
Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Have in Common?
~ The Slide Rule! ~

The Slide Rule is a mechanical analog computer that in the right hands can do all of the following with accuracy and precision:

This program explores the Slide Rule’s role in history’s greatest engineering and scientific achievements, beginning with its invention in the 1600s and ending with its obsolescence in the 1970s. We'll also learn how to use the Slide Rule and see for ourselves how personal computing was done long before the age of silicon. During this program each student will follow my lead using a loaned Pickett Microline 120 Student Prep Slide Rule to perform a range of mathematical operations.

Better still, you will get a paper project you can take home and make your own Slide Rule!

*No Advanced Math Skills Required in this program!*

The 1.5 and 2.0 hour programs require only everyday experience doing 2 digit multiplication and division.
The 3.0 hour and up programs require proficiency with 3 digit multiplication and division as well as experience with decimals and integers.

Why A Program on Slide Rules?

When you work on electronic calculators and screens, numbers appear out of nowhere, transform mysteriously inside microcircuits, and then disappear into electronic oblivion, all at the tap of a key. Slide Rules provide a physical, observable pallet for numbers and a way to visualize and even feel how they relate, operate, and change during mathematical operations. The tactile and visual input of a Slide Rule can transform your understanding of math and boost your proficiency in tackling equations. You'll also develop an appreciation for the genius behind the Slide Rule and the three and a half centuries of invention, calculation, and construction it made possible before our modern world.

For another take, with a few more explicatives, read the article Why Everyone Should Learn the Slide Rule.

Presentation Materials & Webcast

Want to step into the Slide Zone? Requires only everyday experience in 2 digit multiplication and division.

• Slide into the When Slide Rules Ruled: Introduction to the Slide Rule Presentation

• Watch the Introduction to the Slide Rule Webcast (TBD) (pair it with the self study links below)

• Download the Program Description/Common Core Map

• Download the Virtual Picket Microline M120 Slide Rule, a digital version of the Slide Rule I use in the program
  Extract the .zip file to your Desktop and then double-click on the.html file titled Launch inside to open the Virtual Slide Rule in a browser window.

• Download my version of a Printable Paper Beginner’s Slide Rule that includes lots of “training wheels,” which I consider to be very useful self-paced learning guides. A printed copy will be supplied for all in-person program attendees.
  ***for best results, print on cardstock rather than standard paper***

  • See the original, more complex paper Slide Rule I based my work on that was published by Scientific American Magazine in 2006

  • Go to the Slide Rules section of our Free Resources page to learn LOTS MORE from other resources

  • Follow along with my video showing how to Build the STEMpunkED Printable Slide Rule (TBD)

See what our Partners have to say about this program and others in our Testimonials.

Delivery Requirements, Logistics & Fees

| Age Range: 10/11-Adult/Senior |
|  Participants: 4-30  |
|  Requirements: Projector, Screen, and Speakers ; 9 large tables, 4 chairs each |
| Setup/Breakdown: 1.0 hours each |
|  Contact for details |

➤ IN-PERSON DELIVERY OPTIONS

1.5 hour Option: Presentation + Hands-on Interactive Learning with Multiplication and Division
\\\ $299+travel \\\

2.0 hour Option: Presentation + Hands-on Interactive Learning with Multiplication and Division Challenges
\\\ $319+travel \\\

Makerspace 2.0 hour Option: Presentation + Hands-on Interactive Learning with Multiplication and Division + Slide Rule Build
\\\ $359+travel \\\

4.0 hour Option: Presentation + Hands-on Interactive Learning with Multiplication, Division, Squares, Square Roots, Cubes, Cube Roots, and Challenges
\\\ $399+travel \\\

Makerspace 4.0 hour Option: Presentation + Hands-on Interactive Learning with Multiplication, Division, Squares, Square Roots, Cubes, Cube Roots, and Challenges + Slide Rule Build
\\\ $399+travel \\\

➤ LIVESTREAM DELIVERY OptionS

Livestream via your Zoom, Google Meet, Google Classroom, WebEx, or other system

1.5 hour Option: Presentation + Interactive Learning with Multiplication
\\\ $209 \\\

2.5 hour Option: Presentation + Interactive Learning with Multiplication, Division, and Challenges
\\\ $239 \\\

Funding Options

Look into the Funding Options to help bring STEMpunk programming to your school or organization.