Math Garden Features & Lessons (New lessons will be added in the Fall of 2010)

Planting Beds
Landscaping timbers have been used to create a square, rectangle, pentagon, and hexagon for perimeter, area, and angle measurement lessons.  The planting bed areas have been filled with various flowers and shrubs for math activities related to height, distribution, symmetry and data analysis of seeds and flowers.

Lesson:  Figure This - Students use the planting beds for a lesson related to measurements, perimeter, and area.

Sunflower, Watermelon, & Pumpkin Patches
Students planted various seeds to grow flowers and fruits that can be used for data collection and estimation lessons.

Lesson:  Sunflower Math Challenge - Students use sunflowers for measurement, perimeter, and area lessons. They are also challenged to estimate the number of seeds on their sunflower.

Memorial Tree
The memorial tree and others will be used for lessons related to similar triangles (determining height.)

Shape Sculptures & Mobiles
Various 3-dimensional shapes (cubes, boxes, cylinders, cones, etc.) and mobiles will be made from plastic shapes and displayed around the pergola and memorial tree for geometry-based lessons.

Lesson:  Shape Sorter - Students use shape mobiles for measurement, perimeter, and area lessons. They also use the shapes to investigate angles and other relationships between polygons.

Stepping Stone Axis
Students created the x- and y-axis of a coordinate plane by painting numbers on bricks placed in between rectangular pavers. The coordinate plane will be used for graphing and geometry activities.

Garden Borders
The South garden border will be decorated with number lines for various counting and computation activities. The North garden Border will be decorated with metric and English rulers for use with measurement activities. The East and West borders will be decorated with various mathematical formulas, shapes, and angles that will be used for lessons in the garden.

Resources:  The Mini Math Cards will also be used to create a set of reference cards for students to use in the classroom and the garden. A larger Mega Math Card is also available.

Weather Station
Students will use the weather station to collect data for lessons in math and science classes.

Sundial
Students will learn how sundials are used to estimate the time and investigate related math and science concepts. A great sundial lesson is available at the Eye on the Sky website. Other great ideas are to create a Human Sundial or make sundial wristwatches.

Illinois Learning Standards:

6.B.3a   Solve practical computation problems involving whole numbers, integers, and rational numbers.  (Pumpkin patch)

6.C.3a   Select computational procedures and solve problems with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents and proportions. (Similar triangles)

6.C.3b   Show evidence that computational results using whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents and proportions are correct and reasonable.  (Predict the number of seeds in a pumpkin)

6.D.3   Apply ratios and proportions to solve practical problems.  (Similar triangles, height of the tree).

7.A.2a   Calculate, compare and convert length, perimeter, area, weight/mass and volume within customary and metric systems.(Borders, number lines)

7.A.3a   Measure length, capacity, weight/mass and angles using sophisticated instruments. (Pumpkins, gardens, sculptures)

7.C.3a  Construct a simple scale drawing for a given situation.  (Sketch the garden to design next year’s plants)

7.C.3b   Use concrete and graphic models and appropriate formulas to find perimeters, areas, surface area and volumes.  (Sculptures and gardens)

8.A.3b  Solve problems using linear expressions, equations and inequalities.  (Coordinate plane)

8.B.3  Use graphing technology and algebraic methods to analyze and predict linear relationships and make generalizations from linear patterns.  (Coordinate plane and formulas)

8.D.3b  Propose and solve problems using proportions, formulas, and linear functions.  (Coordinate plane and formulas)

9.A.3c  Use concepts of symmetry, congruency, similarity, scale, perspective and angles to describe and analyze two- and three- dimensional shapes found in practical situations.  (Compare garden areas)

9.B.2  Compare geometric figures and determine their properties including parallel, perpendicular, similar, congruent, and line symmetry.  (Sculptures, garden shapes, borders)

9.D.3   Compute distances, lengths, and measures of angles using proportions, the Pythagorean theorem and its converse.  (Triangular gardens)

10.A.3b  Compare the mean, median, mode and range, with and without the use of technology.  (pumpkins, seeds)

10.B.3   Formulate questions, devise and conduct experiments or simulations, gather data, draw conclusions and communicate results to an audience.  (Predict the number of pumpkins and flowers)

If you have any questions about the Interactive Math Garden project, please contact
Mrs. Tracy Trimpe, project coordinator!

The Interactive Math Garden was developed in Spring 2010 as a new addition to our Nature Center. It has been designed with specific features that can be used for math lessons at each grade level.   From the development of the garden this spring to the lessons in the fall, students will have the opportunity to explore real-world applications of math in the world around them. 

To fund the project, we received a $500 grant from the Logan, Mason, Menard Regional Office of Education, along with generous donations from our Helping Hands (see list at right) provided the resources to fund this project. Eighth-grade students and Science Club members provided the man power needed to create the math garden and its features.

Also available ...
Photo Gallery (Start to Finish)
Math Garden Layout (pdf)