How many steps does it take to walk from the front door of a SEPTA bus all the way to the back? How much money do I really save buying tokens instead of paying cash fare? As I settled in for my 1st encounter with the Community Based Math Project of Philadelphia (CBMP), I looked over lesson ideas for estimating length, using counting strategies and graphing…all using SEPTA as a vehicle for locally relevant math. Then, Dr. Caroline Ebby led an incredible lesson, “Rethink Your Drink”, that explored the math behind nutrition labels on everyday beverages. We investigated the drinks’ sugar content, but thought of other applications for this context like evaluating the prices of healthy drinks versus unhealthy ones. Finally, small groups brainstormed new lesson contexts and shared their ideas. Group topics included Probability & Bus Schedules, Elementary Education, Sports, Maps & Distance, and SEPTA Passes & Systems of Equations. It was really cool to hear the creativity of all the fellow math educators in the room. The talented group of tutors, teachers and curriculum developers had a diverse set of interests, but a shared love of math and helping students. At the end, I went home with some amazing, tangible lesson resources from: 1) CBMP, which has developed and adapted locally relevant math materials over the course of 5+ years, and 2) my colleagues who shared ideas that have worked successfully in their classrooms (e.g. Dan Meyer’s 3-Act Math Tasks). The group was welcoming and collaborative, and I’m excited to see what the 2nd session of the Locally Relevant Math Inquiry to Action Group (ItAG) has in store…
|
AuthorsGina Cappelletti ArchivesCategories |