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A stroll through the playground, the gym or even the cafeteria can give students practice in real-world math
Math is all around us, and taking your students on a Math Trail is a great way to get them to see the world through the eyes of mathematics. A Math Trail is an opportunity to take your students out of the classroom to solve a variety of math problems related to shapes, structures and numbers in their environment.
A Math Trail can take place on the playground, in the cafeteria or gym, in the school library or any other place where students can roam freely. When working in pairs or small groups, students are given a menu of 10 or 20 problems related to objects or features of the area. They select problems that interest and challenge them, work for a generous amount of time and then come back to the classroom to discuss methods and possible solutions.
Planning the route
It's easy to make your own Math Trail. First, choose the area you want your students to explore. Then walk around the area yourself, looking for appropriate mathematical questions you could ask your students. When you're writing your questions, it helps to think about the NCTM's five content strands: Number Sense, Geometry, Measurement, Algebraic Reasoning and Probability and Statistics. I've listed some sample activities at the end of this column to get...