MORE INTERESTING MATH
IT'S ORGANIC! EXPLORING LOCAL NATURAL SCIENCE
MORE INTERESTING MATH
IT'S ORGANIC! EXPLORING LOCAL NATURAL SCIENCE
Jason, Tara, Emann, Kevin, Ben, & Dat
Have you ever sat in math class and wondered, “When am I ever going to use this outside of this class?” It’s a common question that all of us have pondered at some point, but is one that is never answered nor addressed. We spend hours studying mathematical concepts and equations to improve our skills, but we never learn how the math we learn in our classrooms pertains to the real world or our day-to-day lives. This question became the fuel to our project, with us asking ourselves, “How can we apply the mathematical concepts taught in classrooms to our lives?”
We began our project by brainstorming how we could connect the range of math concepts to our personal stories; not just brushing our teeth or picking out an outfit. Quickly, we saw a consistent thread in our ideas: natural science. From there, it felt organic to build out our set of guides to include a range of applications and experiences related to the natural sciences, from collecting leaves to experiencing earthquakes. Each person on our team took on the creation of one to two guides, and we all met regularly to help inspire each other and pivot to new applications when necessary. We feel this project is important because exploring the natural world around us with math allows us to grow both our appreciation for math and the environment. Through our guides, we wanted to display our appreciation and love for the Tacoma area’s wildlife and nature. We hope our work is helpful and accessible to the students and educators in our area, and that the topics spark the same joy and curiosity that they do for us.