I have had a number of opportunities to spend time with some amazing grade 7 & 8 students in Mr. Clark's class at Uptergrove PS. Today, the students were engaged in a Math lesson where, through investigation, they were asked to demonstrate how to apply an appropriate measure of central tendency needed to compare sets of student-created data. After some discussion/paired activities in the minds-on and action portions of the lesson, the question was posed:
How might you use central tendency in YOUR world?
The plan:
- make a paper airplane with a small group (2-3 in a group)
- we’ll go outside and fly our planes (3 flights each)
- measure the distance of the flights
- record our distances
- input our data into the google form!
- compare and analyze data
- determine the best measure of central tendency in analyzing the data, apply it and explain why
Of course the students rose to the challenge…
What was the result? Highly engaged students who co-created relevant sets of data to be measured in a meaningful learning environment.
So, why hands-on math learning?
*Learning through concrete representations is engaging.
*Students get the opportunity to move about and get physically involved in the math they are learning.
*Manipulating physical objects can work as tools to help conceptualize understanding.
What an exceptional afternoon in a terrific, intermediate class!! Thank you, Mr. Clark for the opportunity to co-plan and co-teach!!
NOTE: **This paper airplane idea was found at ispeakmath.org by Julie Reulbach.
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