25 MORE Math Explorations - Center for Inspired Teaching

The following activity is part of a series we’re creating to support students, teachers, and caregivers, during this unprecedented time. Read more about the project here. If you try this activity with your student(s), we’d love to see what you do. Share your journey via the #Inspired2Learn hashtag on your preferred social platform.

Created by: Aleta Margolis
Discipline: math, and also writing, science, and more
Age level: any
Time: a few minutes to as long as you want
Materials: many activities don’t require any materials; some require things like pencil and paper, compass, protractor, drawing materials, dice, or playing cards

What to do:

Be sure to check out our previous post 25 Math Explorations.

The intent for these ideas is to have the learners do them. The teacher or parent sets the stage and asks the questions, but it is the students who undertake the explorations, and figure out the mathematical concepts. If things go well, they will generate more questions as they engage in the activities. If learners can find answers – on their own, in (virtual!) conversation with friends, or with an adult’s help – that’s great. If not, that’s great too! Giving the brain something to puzzle through is good mental exercise anytime, especially now when our learners’ brains might be beginning to miss the daily stimulation of a face-to-face classroom.

Some ideas are more appropriate for young children, some for older students. But all can be adapted to fit any age group. So, adapt away!

And now…the list!

Figure out the area of your bedroom.
Figure out the perimeter of your bedroom.
Figure out the surface area of your bedroom.
Figure out the volume of your bedroom.
Figure out how much money you’ll owe one year from now if you continue to pay the minimum balance on a credit card with $100 of debt.
Analyze the stats of your favorite baseball/basketball/football player.
Go outside with a compass, a pencil, and a piece of paper and see what happens.
Look at car advertisements online. Figure out if it’s a better deal to buy or lease.
Figure out how much you’d have to work a job (how many hours for how many weeks) paying minimum wage in order to save enough money to buy the car of your choice.
Figure out how long it would take to drive to Miami, FL (or anywhere you want to go) if you were driving 65 mph; 75 mph. Calculate with stops and without.
Determine how many different phone numbers could exist in the US, assuming there were no limits on area codes or number combinations.
Calculate the amount of time you sleep each year.
Compare the amount of time you are awake each year to the amount of time you are asleep.
Determine how many words you read per minute. Calculate how long it would take you to read a 50 page book, 100 page book, etc.
Calculate how long it would take to fly around the world at 250 mph if you were flying along the equator.
How old will you be in the year 2050? 2100? 2500?
How many steps do you take between the front door of your home and your kitchen, bedroom, etc? Use that number to calculate how far you walk along that path in a month….in a year.
Take your pulse. Determine how many times (on average) your heart beats in an hour….in a day…in a month…in a year. (Check out this #Inspired2Learn activity for more things you can explore about your pulse.)
How many times do you blink in a minute. Determine how many times you blink in an hour…in a day…in a month…in a year.
Draw a picture to prove that 1/4 x 1/5 = 1/20.
Time yourself to see how long you can stand on one foot. Now try the other foot. Did you get the same answer both times?
Try the exercise above with your eyes closed. How do closed eyes affect your time? Why?
Do five push-ups today. Do six tomorrow. Do seven the next day. If you keep going at this rate, how many will you be able to do one week from now? One month from now? Bonus: measure the circumference of your biceps/triceps (upper arm muscles) on Day 1, Day 5, etc. and notice how it changes.
See how high you can count out loud in one minute. In five minutes.
Write down ten ways you can use math in everyday life. Share your list with 10 friends, and you’ll have 100 more ideas!

Inspired Teaching connection:

Because these exercises come in the form of ideas, not fully articulated lessons, it’s up to the students to figure out how to execute them. Students get to decide which activities to try, how long to spend on each activity, how and whether to extend their learning, and more. These activities place the learner in the driver’s seat, in line with Inspired Teaching’s Core Element Student As Expert. The activities further engage students in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, as they estimate the height of a tree, predict the likelihood of drawing a green marble (or eating a green M&M), or create symmetry with the furniture in their living room.

See our instructional model here.

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.