MathFinder Learning Kit for Instructors
Each video
- Is about 3 minutes long
- Is inquiry-based and centered around a single key question
- Shows real-world math or STEM in action at a specific place
- Features at least one of these three themes: The built environment, the living environment or fine arts
- Is produced by STEM educational experts
Materials Needed
- Device to view our open-access video library
- Paper
- Pencils/Markers
- Chart paper
- Device with camera capabilities (optional)
Educator Reference Material
Take a quick walk through some of the broad math themes used in the math walks we produced:
- Math Patterns at Dallas Zoo
- Math Patterns at Dallas Museum of Art (coming soon)
- Geometry at Frontiers of Flight Museum
- Geometry at Twelve Hills Nature Center
- Scale, Proportion, and Quantity at St Philip’s School and Community Center
- Scale, Proportion, and Quantity at Voice of Hope Ministry
View Educator Reference Material
See MathFinder Learning Kit for Instructors (PreK - Grade 3)
What is MathFinder?
Integrate math everywhere you go and make the experience of math a joyful one! Celebrate the power of asking questions! From parks to play, math is a language that helps children describe what they see and do, and to ask questions. We want every child to see themselves as a MathFinder everywhere they go and encourage all educators to join children in being MathFinders. Let’s develop our personalized math lens as we find math that lives all around us – a lot of times in the most unexpected places!
Take a math walk in the soccer field, at the zoo, or at the DMA. Math walks help students develop their own math lens and fluency in the language of math. They empower students by modeling inquiry, and they engage students in everyday math topics that align to math standards. You can experience the math walks that we have designed and produced through virtual field trips or in person! Have students and parents preview the math walks at any of our partner sites before the next field trip.
Click here to learn more about the walkSTEM initiative that was launched by talkSTEM nonprofit in 2017 and that the MathFinder project is grounded in. Watch the MathFinder podcast where you can meet the leaders from the organizations we partner with and hear directly from them. Sign up to join the MathFinder and talkSTEM communities. Here are some important aspects of the MathFinder Project that make it a flexible, easy, and fun resource for all instructors to use this summer.
Why is MathFinder a Fun and Flexible Resource?
Our freely available resources include an open-access video library with 250+ short videos featuring math walks and STEM walks.
- All videos are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKs)
- You can find videos to watch based upon student interest in under a minute
- Fun exploration for kids, no need for lengthy previews by instructors
- Video library is easily searchable using such filters as:
- Kind of Place (eg playground or park)
- Specific Place (eg Dallas Zoo or Twelve Hills Nature Center)
- TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)
- Math Topic (eg ratios or estimation)
- Other Themes (eg Science)
- Create Your Own Math Walk guide – this is how we create our math walks and we invite all educators to use our methods on their own campuses and elsewhere. Create your own Math Walk suited for the children you are working with.
Procedure and Facilitation Points
- Introduce students to Mathfinder. Watch the “What’s My Question” video with students. Watch the first, introduction video in this series of 4 videos.
- After the video, ask students to brainstorm locations around them that they know and that they think would make for a fun math walk stop. Facilitate a group discussion and create a chart of ideas.
Now that you know the basics of what a math walk is, pick any of the activity options below to experience a walk for yourself!
Note: You have a lot of choices! You can select a specific place such as the Dallas Zoo, a type of place such as shopping mall or park, or you can filter to find a group of videos on a particular concept such as area and perimeter.
You can go on a short Virtual Math or STEM walk in the classroom by watching a series of short videos, of your choice or your students’ choice. Use the filters on the web page to select videos to view.
- For each video, we suggest you try to follow our interactive video viewing method outlined below in order to empower all students to see the world through their own math lens and to pose their own questions
- Download and print our Interactive Video Viewing Guide for Students
- Viewing and Discussion Guide
- Discussion Sheet below and use while they watch each video
- Have students discuss the various questions in pairs or small groups
- Repeat these steps for the rest of the chosen video series, or as many other videos as desired
Interactive Video-Viewing Tips for Instructors
- Hand out the Student Video Viewing & Discussion Sheet
- WATCH & PAUSE: Play the selected video and pause right before the key question is stated. This will be about 15-30 seconds into the video.
- DISCUSS (NOTICE): Have students discuss what they noticed about the place or object based upon the video segment they viewed so far
- BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS: Next, have students brainstorm any questions they would be interested in answering based upon what they noticed. Make sure you go over what a brainstorm is – no judgements! Note: The first few times you do this, model this in a whole group discussion. Once you feel students know how to do this, you can have them work in pairs or small groups.
- SELECT ONE QUESTION: Have students select one of their list of questions that they feel they’d be interested in answering and that is somehow related to Mathematics. Tell students to be able to explain why they’d be interested in answering the question they selected. Expand definitions of what is math – is it just about numbers, just about straight lines, just about symbols? Math is sometimes referred to as the “science of patterns.” So what is math?
- Watch & Pause: Have students watch the next segment of the video, till the key question for the video has been stated, then pause again. This will be a short segment – 10-20 seconds on average.
- DISCUSS: How did your question compare to the one asked in the video? How do you think the question asked in the video could be answered (focus here is on the strategy)? How would you go about your own question that you came up with (focus on strategy)?
- WATCH REST OF VIDEO: Compare the strategy used in the video with the one you thought about. What surprised you, if anything?
You can create your own math walk after watching a video, as an add-on to another activity you’re doing in camp, or in your free time – don’t feel stuck with using a particular format, go with what feels natural to you!
- You can have students work in small groups or individually, using this document as a guide
- You can decide on how you want students to share and distribute their work
Options for products:
- Create a video Math Walk Stop and have students film each other with a phone or tablet
- Create an audio recording – If you’re interested in creating an app-guided Math Walk using student recordings visit this page to learn more and contact us
- Write a script and share it with the group
Our Partner Sites Across Dallas
- Dallas Arts District
- Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
- Dallas City Hall Plaza
- Dallas Love Field Airport
- Fair Park
- Frontiers of Flight Museum
- Girl Scouts STEM Center for Excellence at Camp
- J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
- Whispering Cedars
- Klyde Warren Park*
- NorthPark Center
- RedBird Mall
- Ronald Kirk Bridge
- SMU Campus
- Starbucks Community Café
- St. Philip’s School and Community Center
- West End Historical District
- HALL Arts*
- The Lamplighter School*
- Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy*
- Lady Bird Johnson Middle School*
- Cedar Hill ISD*
- Greenhill School
- Lancaster Community Park*
- Grand Prairie ISD*
- Twelve Hills Nature Center
- Dallas Museum of Art
- Dallas Zoo
- Voice of Hope Ministries
If you’re planning a field trip, you might be able to add on a math walk experience! For details on how to access MathFinder and walkSTEM content at any of our partner sites, visit our How to walkSTEM page and use the freely downloadable Otocast app to go on an app-guided walk.
* This math walk has audio guide only available on the Otocast app. All others are available using both audio and video guides. For school campuses and museums and zoos, field trip arrangements and fees would need to be arranged by your group.
Learn More about MathFinder
Click here to learn more about the walkSTEM initiative that was launched by talkSTEM nonprofit in 2017 and that the MathFinder project is grounded in. Watch the MathFinder podcast where you can meet the leaders from these organizations and hear directly from them. Sign up to join the MathFinder and talkSTEM communities.
Educator Reference Material
Take a quick walk through some of the broad math themes used in the math walks we produced. These slide decks were used in our work with partner sites involved in the MathFinder project:
- Math Patterns at Dallas Zoo
- Math Patterns at Dallas Museum of Art (coming soon)
- Geometry at Frontiers of Flight Museum
- Geometry at Twelve Hills Nature Center
- Scale, Proportion, and Quantity at St Philip’s School and Community Center
- Scale, Proportion, and Quantity at Voice of Hope Ministry
Feedback
Grades 4-8 instructors using MathFinder in Summer Camp 2023 programming: Complete this form so that we can benefit from your feedback.
Grades preK-3 instructors using MathFinder in Summer Camp 2023 programming: Complete this form so that we can benefit from your feedback.
We’d love to hear from you! If you have questions, comments, or potential collaborations, reach out to us at mathfinderaisl@gmail.com.