I have always been fascinated by connections between math and other disciplines. From my experience, students are more motivated to learn math when these connections are made in the classroom. This article is devoted to connecting math with other disciplines (science, social studies, etc.) and with the real world. It includes teaching ideas as well as links to related resources.
Math and History of Computers
Students can examine the binary number system. They can look at the relationship between base 2 numbers and how computer circuitry was developed. The history of computers can be studied from the invention of the ENIAC through today's wireless devices. For example, my Unit on Symbolic Logic provides an excellent framework for computer circuitry. When I taught an electronics class at a NY City high school in 1990, I presented lessons on Boolean logic and circuitry. Specifically, I gave a lesson on gates such as AND, OR, NAND, and XOR.
Math and Science
The math teacher can teach students about exponential notation. Once students become proficient in reading and writing numbers in exponential form, and in converting numbers between exponential, factor, and standard form, they can apply this knowledge to topics in science. For example, they can write the distance between the sun and each planet using scientific notation. For advanced students, you can teach them about negative exponents. Then they can explore the half-life of certain radioactive elements, or the size of bacteria and viruses. Try our WebQuest on Exponents and Scientific Notation.
Explore many scientific facts, such as the boiling and freezing point of liquids, the melting and freezing points of solids, and the temperature of planets, in myWebQuest on Integers and Science.
Have you been to the playground lately? You'll find many connections between algebra, science, and the real world in our article entitled Why Learn Algebra?
Math and Social Studies
After teaching a Unit on Graphing, you can have your students apply these skills to topics in Social Studies. For example, they can draw bar graphs to compare the Population, Per Capita Income, and Population Density of various countries. For other connections between math and social studies, try on Unit on Integers.
Math and Sports
Students can compute the percent win-loss of games played by their favorite sports teams. They can find data on teams in their school, or they can find data for professional teams online and in the newspapers. You can bring this activity into the computer lab by placing all the data in a spreadsheet. A formula can be used to compute the percent win-loss. Try our interactive lessons on Understanding Percent. Then Explore Win-Loss Percentage, Graphing Data for Olympics and Super Bowls, Batting Average and ERA, and the NBA Draft Lottery with my Webquests on Math and Sports. You can also play my unique Integer Football Game.
Math and Technology
There are two main approaches to to addressing technology in the math classroom. You can integrate math and technology, making these topics the object of instruction. For example, round-off error is described below. You can also use technology to facilitate math learning. For example, the use of an iPod, an interactive whiteboard, or other devices, as described on our Math and Technology page.
If you divide the numerator of a fraction by its denominator, and the result is a repeating decimal, your calculator will not display the results with 100% accuracy. This is because repeating decimals have an infinite number of digits and calculators can only compute to a finite number of digits. This phenomenon, known as round-off error, also applies to computers. You can use this topic to integrate math and technology in your classroom. Students will marvel at the way different calculators and computers display varying results when they experiment with fractions such as 2/3, 5/6 or 8/9. Read our creative teaching idea entitled: Repeating Decimals and The Monster That Wouldn’t Die.
Math and Writing
One of the things stressed by standardized tests is the ability to answer open-ended questions. Typically, students are asked to provide written explanations for solutions to math problems. This assesses their ability to express their mathematical ideas in written form. To help them prepare for these types of questions, I do a math project that involves writing. I ask students to answer several open-ended questions using full sentences. The math teacher can grade students based on the mathematical correctness of their responses. The Language Arts or English Teacher can grade them on spelling and grammar. Some sample questions are provided in our Classroom Activities and Project Ideas for Number Theory and Understanding Percent. Students can also answer the questions in our Number Theory WebQuest using full sentences.
Percentages and the Consumer
I have nine lessons on Consumer Math, covering sale price, discount, interest, commission, sales tax and percent change. Students can also try my interactive Loan Calculator. My WebQuest on Percent in Daily Life is another good resource for making connections. For printable resources, try myWorksheets on Percent Applications.
Find more ideas on connecting math with other subjects on The Math Goodies CD! You will also find classroom activities and career connections.
This article is by Gisele Glosser. You can find me on Google.
