Lower School Students Explore Math in the World Around Us
Last week, Lower School students in grades 1-5 stepped outside of the classrooms and had math classes inspired by the idea, “Math is beautiful, just take a look around.”
First graders went on an outdoor 3D shape scavenger hunt around GOA and located examples of cones, rectangular prisms, cylinders, cubes and spheres. They drew a picture of each 3D shape, labeled it and described its attributes by counting the number of vertices, edges and flat surfaces. Students were excited to find so many 3D shapes in their world.
In 2nd grade, students searched outside in the playground, garden and eating area to find multiplication in action. They created photo projects using iPads and wrote and solved real-world multiplication projects.
While working with their foundation of geometric shapes, 3rd graders outlined and designed their very own GEOGOA. Students configured their school using pattern blocks to create a building, playground, and scenery. They were very excited and hope that one day GOA may look like the school they created!
In an effort to integrate math and topography skills, the 4th graders created scale maps of the school garden. The students had to use measurement and conversion, knowledge of perimeter and area of rectangles, as well as their previously learned knowledge of factors to find the correct scale factor to use! We hope to use the maps for garden planning next year.
The 5th graders learned about tessellations and looked for patterns in nature. They each got to design their own tessellation using an inspiration that they saw in the world around them. Overall, it was a great week to step outside and learn that math is really everywhere if we just stop and look around.
Wilf Lower School Campus
Eric F. Ross Upper School Campus
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