What Math Should Be

Sometimes I look at my learners, then I peer at the math lesson out of the curriculum guide, and a giant THIS WILL NOT WORK for them flashes through my brain. Ever had one of those moments? I feel like I have them all the time, causing me to ponder who writes curriculum for kids.

Understanding different triangles was the learning objective. The lesson in the teacher guide introduced vocabulary and had several workbook pages where students were asked to classify triangles using words like scalene, equilateral, or isosceles. It does not take much mental effort to look at a shape, flip back a page, locate the matching shape, and label it. Depth of knowledge Level one is all about recall, and I was staring it in the face.

I had a decision to make in a split second. I could use the lesson in the book or engage my learners in an activity that required them to apply their thinking of triangles and the vocabulary they needed to know. I went with option 2.

Students were asked to write a triangle story in a narrative form. They were offered a graphic organizer as a choice to help write their story. They had to use the six triangle vocabulary words and could include quadrilateral vocabulary too, which was the next lesson. Most students chose to use a graphic organizer, understanding the ease of writing a story once the thoughts are on the paper.

Instead of correcting several workbook pages, I got to interact with students on a deeper level. We discussed their story along the way. I loved sitting with students and hearing their thoughts about where their triangles were going. I questioned the problem their triangle was having and probed for elaborative detail. Students showed me they really understood the basic concepts of triangles through the evolution of their characters and setting.

A good friend suggested I read the story Triangle by Mac Barnett to further enhance our learning experience, showing students how their stories are similar to a published book.

We made connections and drew conclusions along with sharing inferences about shapes as we read.

When they were done, students created a Google Drawing of their story as an assessment. Each student then met with me to discuss his or her drawing, helping me gain further insight into his or her thinking.

Every child felt important and valued. Every child was a writer, an illustrator, and creator of a masterpiece. This is what math should be: cross curricular lessons that dig deep into concepts and give all students a voice to share their work.