Math

“Knowing mathematics means being able to use it in purposeful ways. To learn mathematics, students must be engaged in exploring, conjecturing, and thinking rather than only in rote learning of rules and procedures. Mathematics learning is not a spectator sport. When students construct personal knowledge derived from meaningful experiences, they are much more likely to retrain and use what they have learned. This fact underlies teachers’ new role in providing experiences that help students make sense of mathematics, to view and use it as a tool for reasoning and problem solving.”

Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics: Executive Summary, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, March 1989, page 5

The math program at Running River School strives to help students create meaning of processes and operations through the use of manipulatives and real-world problem solving. Our method is heavily based in the constructivist approach, which suggests that children are at all times broadening their construct of the logical and symbolic world through the assimilation of new experiences, which conflict and align with previous knowledge and understanding: thus, creating new meaning.

One strength of our program lies in the way math arises out of our project based learning. For example, when the Kindergarteners want to know how big dinosaurs were, we study measurement. They study length, height, and weight of dinosaur footprints, tails, and heads. They also compare and contrast with animals in their world, a pre-skill of ratio. By engaging kids emotional center, we quickly activate excitement in the brain as well.

Another strength of our program is that we give kids every opportunity we can to use math as a tool in life. We teach in a way that gets all kids excited to apply their developing skills to real life practical projects such as carpentry, gardening, cooking, and orienteering in the outdoors. Research shows that although students may be able to perform well at arithmetic computation, often they are not able to use those skills to solve problems. Attached is an example of a Garden Problem. This problem demonstrates a standards-based approach to a real thematic problem: “How can you design the garden we are building?”

A third strength of our program is our multi-age grouping. We intentionally create multi-age classrooms because peers are great teachers. When students present their findings and ideas, they are solidifying new information and teaching one another what they have learned. We are constantly challenging kids to teach one another. When kids struggle and reach out for help, we often direct them to other students. Our teachers evaluate students’ knowledge by observing the ways in which individuals and groups of students work and rework the problems together.

Finally, knowing where students are in their mathematical understanding is crucial. We use one-on-one assessments to gauge how students are progressing through the curriculum. We also rely heavily on the work that students are doing in their daily math work and journals. We use journals to give kids an opportunity to demonstrate their thought processes through writing and pictures, thus activating both sides of the brain. These math journals become roadmaps for the students to review the paths we’ve taken throughout the year. At Running River School students drive the instruction. Because we have such a small student : teacher ratio, we are able to tailor instruction to each individual’s needs.

Below is one example of our Garden problem done with 2nd and 3rd graders, which integrates fractions, addition, money, spatial design and a variety of language arts. It is great to work with kids who are so engaged in what they are learning.

Garden Problem

You will be designing our garden. Here are your requirements:

• You will have to make a plan
• The garden will need a path
• You will need the following items in the garden:
  • Vegetables
  • Flowers
  • Herbs

• Here is how much space each area needs to be:
  • Vegetables: 3/4 of the garden
  • Flowers: 1/8 of the garden
  • Herbs: 1/8 of the garden

Design Your Garden, Then…

Before you pick your items to plant, you will need the following:

• Vegetables:
  • 1/4 need to be greens
  • 1/4 need to be from the squash family
  • Any extra space you can plant what you like

• Flowers:
  • All of them need to be annuals

• Herbs
  • You need three different types of herbs

Decide on Your Plants, Then…

Here is your budget. You get to spend $45 on your plants.

Price List

• Vegetable seed pack: $2.50
• Flower seed pack: $2.00
• Herb Starters: $2.25 each

Get as close to $45 as you can!

Write up your budget sheet neatly and write how you added everything up.

Then…

Name your garden.

Write a poem about your garden.

Paint a watercolor of your garden.

Then…

Present your garden