Integrating Math With Other Subjects
Math was a subject that used to fill me with dread. My elementary and high school math classes left me with math PTSD. I'd see an exponent or a fraction and I would break into a cold sweat! Forget asking me to plot for x, I might actually pass out! But over the years I have learned to appreciate math. Although I might never relax with a game of Sudoku, I can honestly say that sometimes math is really interesting. Math can even be extremely creative and quite beautiful. To prove my point I am going to share a few examples of how math can relate to many subjects not just art, as I have showed in two previous posts.
________________________________________________
Math and Science
Here are a couple of links to websites that cover combined math and science curriculum.
https://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/weather-and-climate-from-home-to-the-poles/integrating-science-and-math-data-analysis-and-weather
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/science1.htm
A lesson that combines science, art, and math (for younger grades).
_______________________________________________________
Math and ELA
I will be honest when I first thought about how math relates to ELA I was doubtful I would find a lot of information. Boy was I wrong! Click here to read an great article that does a great job of articulating the relationship between these seemingly disparate concepts much.
If you click here it will take to to a lesson plan for K-2 called going on a shape hunt.
Finally, click here for a link to a blog filled with children's books about math.
________________________________________________________
Math and Social Studies (and History)
Click here to go to an article that discusses a math lesson with a lesson on 9/11.
Click here for a video on the history of math.
Here is another website that integrates math with social studies.
____________________________________________________________
Math and Music
Another place that students won't expect to find math is in music. Yet once again, math has an unlikely friend. In fact this relationship was beautifully summed up in a statement by Pythagoras,
"There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres." (www.ams.org)
Here is a link to the American Mathematical Society on Math and Music
This is another article on the connection between the two disciplines.
_____________________________________________________________
In this post I have only scratched the surface of how math relates to other subjects. In fact, everything is interconnected. It is a great disservice to not help our students see and understand the connections. If we can help them see the relationship between the arts, sciences, math, history, and language we are not only helping them open doors we are giving them the keys they need to explore and continue to open doors for themselves and others. It is my hope that my students don't feel disconnected and lost when it comes to math, or any subject for that matter.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI think that it is easy for students to feel disconnected when it comes to certain math concepts if they are not clearly presented or linked to some other subject or real life application. In addition, math is virtually everywhere so it makes sense for teachers to utilize these resources to increase mathematical understanding in their students. I really like how you referred to music as an “unlikely friend” of mathematics. Using a subject area that students might be passionate about like music might be the best way to increase engagement. I really enjoyed this post.
Best,
Scott
Hi Amanda! I loved the beginning of your post-I can completely relate! I also really enjoyed how you then connected math to other subjects such as art which may make it less anxiety-filling for students-Marlee
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteA major tenet of the Common Core Standards that we have learned is to model with mathematics. Math should reflect real-world scenarios. I love how you took this one step further and related math to other subjects. By relating math to other subjects I can see how this could peak the interests of students who are not the biggest fans of math facts. Like Scott said, we can feel disconnected from math concepts sometimes and the connections that you referred to are a way of remembering its relevance in all aspects of life.
As a percussionist, I always saw the connections of math with music. I looked at beats as fractions of a measure that were being filled with sound or less empty. Learning the values of notes (half, quarter, sixteenth, and so on) can be a great way to incorporate a music and math lesson!
Thank you for this post.
Julie