Students will engage with a two day project that integrates math, science, and art measuring and drawing trees. Using the learning landscape on or near your school campus, students will gain a new perspective on the size of trees around them as well as how they fit to scale with the world’s tallest trees. Students […]
Author: Michael Kauffmann
Place Value Pictures
Questions: What is the difference between place and value? How can we determine how many hundreds, tens, and ones are in a number? About the activity: Place Value Pictures provides an engaging way for students to work with hundreds, tens, and ones blocks in a way that combines math and art. it creates an interactive […]
Lumber Yard Mathematics
There is a lot of lumber in Humboldt County — here are some images to ramp up number talks around some real world math.
Plane Flight Mathematics
On a Cessna flight from an airport in Humboldt County I was inspired to develop a plane flight mathematics lesson — how far can a Cessna fly?
Multiplication Area Model
We all need toilet paper, everyday! Let’s dive into how much it costs and how much we all might have in our houses using the multiplication area model.
Skip Counting
In this activity, we will use skip counting to estimate the number of fires Mr. Kauffmann is prepared to have for the winter.
Marble Run Mechanics
A Kindergarten-Second Grade Exploration Activity Marble run mechanics can be introduced in several ways but I believe the best way is to just let the kids play for as long as it holds their attention. As they are creating various marble runs, move from group to group and provide challenges for them to create more […]
Amusement Ride Mathematics
The Sky Trail is a gondola ride through the redwood forests in Del Norte County, near Redwood National and State parks. As we waited in line to board, we were pondering Amusement Ride Mathematics. A few facts for consideration: Passengers are picked up every 2 minutes Each passenger pays, on average, $10 for the ride […]
Engineering and Designing Battlebots
In this engineering and designing battlebots challenge, students are invited to create a vibrating “robot” using a simple circuit created with a battery and DC motor. Materials: DC 9v motor AA battery and wired batter pack Plastic cup or other light material CD or other design Painter’s tape Glue gun and glue sticks Design choices […]
Ecological Estimation
Ecological estimation is an important skill. It allows scientists to track population sizes, even when populations are quite large.