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 Hello! The nature and ecology are topics that are more and more talked about in classes due to the climate change to increase awareness about it. However, rarely children get to connect with the nature itself,  to engage directly with nature through hands-on experiences (Waite, 2011) . Well, guess what, the approach we are going to talk about today is the perfect balance between everything that concerned us today.  Let’s step outside for this time, dig in the dirt and let geometry bloom right alongside the tomatoes. Welcome to one of my favorite cross-curricular adventures: geometry meets ecology in the school garden! Children love hands-on learning, and what better way to teach area and perimeter than by creating real-life garden beds? In this outdoor math mission, students become garden designers, measurement masters and eco-warriors, all in one. By designing garden beds and calculating real areas and perimeters, students begin to understand mathematical concepts as us...

 Good morning/afternoon/noon/night! This theme is probably the most interesting nowadays since we are going to talk about the use of a very recient tool that has been surrounded by controversy. The AI. There is always a debate between if we should use it or not, if they are good or not. Well, I am afraid I can not answer those questions but what I can do is show you how we can use them for a good purpose in classes, to make them funnier and to learn also how to take advantage of something that has been created to make our lives easier. Holmes et al. (2019), exposed the fact that AI has the potential to enhance learning by enabling personalized support and fostering creativity through visual tools.  Let’s imagine this: you are about to start a lesson on 3D shapes, and instead of drawing cubes and pyramids on the board for the hundredth time… you pull out your tablet and let an AI assistant generate a rotating 3D model of a dodecahedron. Your students' eyes light up. Magic? Not ...

Welcome back! What if I told you that some of the most powerful geometry learning happens not on paper, but in play? Yes, we are talking  LEGO bricks or blocks,  those colorful, hands-on tools that can turn an abstract concept into something you can actually hold, twist, and explore. Sarama and Clements (2009) stated that manipulatives like blocks help children build mental models of spatial relationships, fostering a deeper understanding of geometry. Why blocks? Why now? Children (and adults too, let’s face it) learn better when they  touch, build, and create . Geometry is not just about naming shapes, it is about  thinking spatially , understanding relationships between forms, and recognizing patterns in the world around us. Research has shown that block play is strongly correlated with spatial reasoning and school readiness in mathematics (Verdine et al., 2014). When students manipulate blocks, they are not just “playing.” They are: Visualizing 2D and 3D shap...

Welcome again!  Today, we are going to go trough another approach to do in class but for that, I have to welcome you first to the land of   mirror magic —where one half tells the story, and the other half reflects it right back! In this entry, we will see how our young   Symmetry Explorers  can  discover  in their primary classes how this geometric concept becomes exciting, hands-on and even artistic. What is Symmetry, Anyway? Symmetry is when something is  the same on both sides,  like your face (almost), a butterfly’s wings, or a perfectly folded paper heart. But teaching it does not have to mean drawing lines on worksheets. And as Weyl says (2015), symmetry is so important that even beauty is based on how much well-proporcionated you are, and that means, how symmetrical you are.  That is why we are here today we want to see how we can teach it in a playful way. Integrating visual arts into mathematics instruction can foster both creative e...

 Welcome back! Today, I feel like it is a good day for giving you one different idea to implement in your classes of geometry.  Well, prepare yourself because from now on, you're about to start seeing shapes  everywhere . Because geometry isn’t just something stuck in a textbook — it’s hiding in plain sight all around us! As Van Hiele (1986) emphasized, the first level of geometric thinking is based on visual recognition of shapes in real-world contexts. Mission: Become a Shape Hunter This activity that today I am presenting to you, is based in the idea of becoming a hunter, a shape hunter. For it, you need to grab your imaginary magnifying glass (or real phone camera) and take your students on a  Shape Hunt Adventure ! The goal? Spot and capture as many geometric figures as possible — in the wild world of your school, home or neighborhood. Here are some things to find as an example:  Squares in windows and floor tiles  Octagons in street signs  T...

 Welcome to my first entry! I am sure that each of us have seen this kid of patterns at least once in our lives: At least in my experience in Primary school, we had tons of them to color whenever we wanted to or we had some time to wait until the rest of the class finished with what they had to do. Well, guess what? They  are not just pretty patterns—they are masterpieces of geometry hiding in plain sight! Let’s go step by step. What is a mandala anyway? Despite of what you may think, they have been around for centuries, appearing in cultures from Hindu and Buddhist traditions to Native American and even modern wellness practices. The word “mandala” literally means “circle” in Sanskrit. It was that important that people gave it even a symbolic meaning: That which encompasses, encloses, and safeguards the essence—whether it be divinity or the true nature of the mind (López, 2006). But if you look closely…can you really say that it is just a circle? I am sure that that is not th...