Counted Out

Counted Out investigates some of the biggest crises of our time—political polarization, racial and economic inequity, a global pandemic, and climate change—through an unexpected and eye-opening lens: math.

In our current information-driven society, math is everywhere. The people we date, the news we see, the influence of our votes, the candidates who win elections, the education we have access to, the jobs we get—all of it is underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice.

But whether we know it or not, our math literacy—whether we can speak the language of math—is a critical determinant of social and economic power. It is so much more important, in all areas of our modern lives, than many students realize.

Through a mosaic of personal stories most students can relate to, insightful expert interviews, and fascinating cases of math transformation in action and in the real world, Counted Out shows what’s at risk if we keep the status quo. Do we want a world in which most of us don’t consider ourselves “math people”? Where math proficiency goes down as students grow up? Or do we want a country where everyone can understand the math that undergirds our society—and can help shape it?

For teachers looking to inspire their students to look at the world critically and with curiosity, or who have students who feel that ’math isn’t for them’, this is the film to see. This compelling documentary is eye-opening and will leave teachers and students motivated and inspired by math in new and urgent ways, possibly like never before.

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