Sometimes taking the content out of the classroom and into the world is just what you need. Math in nature is a wonderful teacher.
Book It!
Bear with me for a minute as I take us down Memory Lane.
Remember Book It! from your childhood? It’s still totally a thing, by the way. How cool is that? For those of you unfamiliar, Book It! is a program that encourages reading through trackers and free pizza from Pizza Hut. It was (and is) awesome. Seriously, check it out. There’s even a Book It! track for homeschoolers.
1,000 Hours Outside
There’s this other really neat thing that uses a tracker now, too. It’s called 1,000 Hours Outside.
On their website, they state that their purpose is “to attempt to match nature time with screen time. If kids can consume media through screens 1200 hours a year on average then the time is there and at least some of it can and should be shifted towards a more productive and healthy outcome.”
There are trackers for your hours outside and she even has a nature curriculum for my homeschoolers! Imagine, a concerted effort around play and nature for our kids. I love that.
Outdoor Science and Math in Nature
Now imagine that you signed up your entire class for both challenges. You’d have to take them outside for some of your lessons. That’s the perfect place for math and science instruction (and independent reading, too!).
You can explore patterns in vegetation (math) or implement the scientific method regarding said vegetation (science).
You can find natural angles and measure them, measure the playground equipment or shadows on the pavement, or go on a scavenger hunt for things based on scientific properties.
Math in Nature: Fibonacci Sequences
If you’re really serious, you can talk about spirals in nature and Fibonacci sequences. This post from Math Geek Mama has some background info worth checking out.
I found this resource on TPT about Fibonacci in Nature and this arts-integrated, FREE resource, also on TPT. NOTE: These are not my own products and I make no money from their purchase.
