Geometry and Ecology in classes

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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 useful tools rather than abstract numbers (Boaler, 2016). Here is how it goes:

  1. We head out to our school garden space (even a tiny space in a pot will do!). Do not have a real garden? No worries! Use cardboard cutouts of vegetables, paper grids, or even LEGO bricks to simulate plots indoors.

  2. Students work in teams to plan their own raised beds or planting plots using chalk, string or sticks.

  3. Armed with measuring tapes, they calculate the area (to know how many plants will fit) and the perimeter (to build fences or borders).

  4. Then we compare different shapes: Which plot gives us the most space with the least fencing? Is a square better than a rectangle? Can we make an L-shape?

Suddenly, formulas like Area and Perimeter make total sense. They are not just numbers, they are tools for building something real!

Another examples of things that can be done could be:  

  • Use volume to figure out how much soil is needed for each garden bed.
  • Practice geometry vocabulary: parallel lines (garden rows), right angles (bed corners), irregular shapes (custom plots).
  • Create bar graphs to track plant growth over time.

This project taps into the multiple intelligences by Gardner (2011): visual-spatial (designing beds), bodily-kinesthetic (measuring and building), naturalist (interacting with plants), and logical-mathematical (calculating dimensions). It is math with meaning! 

Moreover, cross-curricular projects like this one foster deeper understanding by connecting mathematical reasoning with ecological awareness and problem-solving skills (Thomas, 2000).

Geometry is not just about shapes on paper. There is much more beyond those figures that can be seen in papers. You just have to be willing to see and have the predisposition to change the pace of the classes for making it different and interesting for young learners.

Last but not least, I would like to share with you an interesting Ted talk that comments what we are dealing with today. It is a little bit longer from what we are used to but believe me when I say that it is not a waste of time!




S33 Y0U 1N 7H3 N3X7 3N7RY!


REFERENCES:

Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students’ potential through creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching. Jossey-Bass.

Gardner, H. (2011). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences (3rd ed.). Basic Books.

TEDx Talks. (2017, 3 mayo). Learning with Nature: Inspiring the Next Systems-Thinkers | Jamie Byron | TEDxWalthamED [Vídeo]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcmaxTyAcFc

Thomas, J. W. (2000). A review of research on project-based learning. The Autodesk Foundation. https://my.pblworks.org/resource/document/review-research-project-based-learning

Waite, S. (2011). Teaching and learning outside the classroom: Personal values, alternative pedagogies and standards. Education 3–13, 39(1), 65–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004270903206141

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