Teachers in the math and English departments recently teamed up for a cross-curricular lesson.
"We have a graph-type question on an upcoming test and I visited with Ms. Welch to see if she could help me find resources so my students could practice before the test," eighth grade English teacher Gwyn Del Toro said.
During their conversation, the long-time English teacher and math department chair decided to team up to create a cross-curricular lesson.
Math students learned about the history of Mancala by reading and analyzing an article and answering questions about the article. Then they put what they learned into action by playing the game.
"While doing so, students collected data each turn on how many marbles they collected," math department chair Mekayla Welch said. "Once the game was over, students plotted their points on a graph, creating a scatter plot. Students then analyzed the scatter plots they created to answer questions."
Meanwhile in English, students learned about the history of Jenga by reading and analyzing an informational article. Students also played Jenga and collected data on the number of layers that were in the tower after each turn. Students used the information gathered during game play to create a scatter plot and answer math questions.
"I think doing activities that align benefit students in a few ways," Welch said. "When students are able to connect different core classes it allows them to see that all contents can go together."
Creating engaging activities helps students be more excited about their learning. This was demonstrated when a student in Mrs. Del Toro's class was overheard saying, "This is a fun way of learning coordinates."
