Math is everywhere. That’s what I’m always telling my students. But at 6 and 7 years old, my students mostly think math is either counting things one by one or solving equations someone else puts on a page for them.
So I’m trying to get in the habit of finding math in my own daily life. And somedays I’m pretty good at it. On a walk in a local downtown I saw these boxes of books at the local used book store. What perfect math for students (or just ordinary people) to think about. What question(s) might you ask to evoke a mathematical response?
When I see these local trashcans I want to challenge my first graders to figure out how many tiles there are without counting each individually. How might you figure it out? Is there more than one strategy to help figure it out?
There’s the holes in this drain. Is there an easy way to count them? How might you keep track?
Today we headed out on our playground in search of math. But I’m not so sure that I managed to convey how to look for math. Some students noticed the squares of the climbing ladder on the play structure and were figuring out how many were outlined by the ropes. The inaccuracy of their sketches were definitely not helping them find the solution.
When I prompted, “Do you see any fractions?” a few students were able to see the eight “slices” outlined on the floor of the spinning merry go round thing–and could even articulate that each was an eighth.
But I see that more practice and maybe a bit more direction are still in order. I think I may practice by showing my students one of these photos and then asking some questions to provoke a mathematical response.
So, let me practice on you. What mathematical situations might come from the close up of these balls on the cart in the playground?
I didn’t grow up going to National Parks–and to be honest, I didn’t take my sons to National Parks either. But somehow, weirdly enough, I became a hiker after my kids left home.
I think it’s photography that turned me on to hiking. When I decided to take a photo every day, I needed to actively seek out interesting things to photograph. That led me to spend lots of time at our local beaches…and to somehow become interested in exploring other natural spaces…including National Parks.
At this point I have been to a number of National Parks–in my state and far beyond. I’ve been to some once and to others multiple times. So when I had the opportunity to visit Joshua Tree on Saturday, I was all in!
It’s a good 3+ hour drive from home, so making the trip from Palm Springs shortened the commute by more than 2 hours–making a day trip reasonable.
I was somewhat optimistically hoping for a super bloom (I did visit during a super bloom a few years back), but it’s a bit early and a bit chilly for the blooms yet. Instead we found some short hikes and headed off to enjoy the local flora and fauna.
Joshua Tree is a place where rock climbers gather, testing their skills on nature’s beautiful rock formations. I was mesmerized as I watched climbers with ropes navigate up the sides of giant boulders. They worked in teams, searching for toe holds and crevices as they pulled their bodies up inch by inch. And of course, I had to take photos along the way.
Thank goodness for the little girl who noticed the snake I almost stepped on! Look at the snake she called, and a I turned around to see a snake just a short distance from me. Luckily it was a desert rosy boa on a slow (it was still chilly out) meander across the trail. We all enjoyed the sight and the photo op before continuing on our way.
But when in Joshua Tree, the highlight is always the Joshua trees. The rain this year and last has been good for them. They are looking green and happy–especially compared to the visit during the extreme drought when they were not looking so good. These trees are interesting, somehow a cross between cactus and tree. The park looked almost like a forest, with Joshua’s spotting the high desert environment.
Do you have a favorite National Park? Maybe some other beautiful natural space I really shouldn’t miss? I appreciate any recommendations.
If you get a chance, take a trip to Joshua Tree. It’s totally worth it!
The drive to and from Palm Springs from San Diego is not a particularly pleasant one. One thing you can always count on is traffic–especially through the Riverside area. It is one of the reasons we decided to extend the trip and not drive home on Friday evening.
So today we spent the day in Joshua Tree National Park (more on that tomorrow) and got lucky enough to escape most of the weather (high winds and rain) forecasted for Palm Springs today midday.
Anticipating a not-so-fun drive home today, we decided that we HAD to stop at the quirky roadside attraction not far from Palm Springs–the Cabazon Dinosaurs. We have visited the attraction before, but who wouldn’t want to stop and take photos of a 150 foot long hot pink apatosaurus (formerly known as brontosaurus) and a 65 foot tall T-Rex dressed in a tux?
We’ve learned through the grapevine (and now through personal experience) that the dinosaurs are palnted differently during different seasons. The last time we saw the dinosaurs T-Rex was wearing a bunny suit (in anticipation of Easter, I think) and our son reported them decked out in Christmas colors when they visited Palm Springs in December.
We had relished the 85 degree days during my conference in Palm Springs and enjoyed the day in the mid-60s and sunny up in the high desert of Joshua Tree. As we drove back down from 5000 feet toward sea level we noticed the clouds gathered in a huge pile over the mountains that surround Palm Springs and water splatters began to hit the car window. Suddenly the winds increased and the rain poured as we turned off onto the 10 freeway.
Should we stop to the see the dinos in the pouring rain?
We decided we’d at least pull off the freeway and take a look. Maybe the rain would stop in a couple of minutes.
Instead of being pelted by rain, we were treated to a rainbow. Definitely made that drive home a little bit better! Moral of the story: make time for silly fun–the rewards will be many!
What quirky roadside attractions have you visited? Any that you would recommend to others?
I love to take photos–and I take and post photos daily and have more more than 12 years. Some days and weeks I find myself in the doldrums where it seems like I have taken that same photo again and again. Sometimes the photo I see with my eyes just doesn’t come out of my camera no matter how hard I try.
What I love about photography is that it forces me to slow down and pay attention to the moment. I find myself paying attention to shadows, textures, colors, the interplay of light and dark…and then I notice sounds and smells and find myself wanting to run my fingers over a surface that looks bumpy or smooth or somehow different that I expect.
I came across this Mary Oliver poem the other day while scrolling my Instagram…and kept returning to it until finally I just took a screen shot so I could reread it over and over and over again.
Screenshot
In some ways this poem expresses how I feel about taking photos. Through my camera my aim is to be that rich lens of attention that allows me to take in the world, learning along the way. Breathing in and breathing out, slowing down, taking time, and looking with all my senses as I capture an aspect of my experience with a click of the shutter.
If you want to know when it’s spring, don’t bother with a calendar, just walk into my first grade classroom. The energy is palpable. Those babies that entered the classroom at the end of last summer are growing into knowledgeable and sassy almost second graders. They are readers and writers and fact collectors extraordinaire (although fact-checking is not yet in their realm of expertise). So what do you do at the end of conference week when it feels like the classroom is fitting like last year’s t-shirt–way too tight? Head out to the garden…with iPads in hand!
We’d been out in the garden with our notebooks earlier in the week–observing carefully in the spirit of Jane Goodall. So on Friday I asked students to go back to the place where they observed earlier in the week and find three photos to take. I reminded them of the photography techniques we had learned and set them loose to explore. There was the insect on the screen that first caught students’ attention. The lizard almost created a need for crowd control as these little paparazzi swarmed the cold-blooded sunbathers against the brick wall. They photographed strawberries, broccoli, fruit tree flowers, aloe, and who knows what else.
Yesterday, we studied the poem, Things to do if you are Rain by Elaine Magliaro. We noticed her action words (polka-dot sidewalks, freckle windowpanes…) and did not miss the metaphor of the rain tap dancing on the rooftop. After choosing one of their photos as the subject, they set off to write their own Things to do… poems. And since it’s mid March, I asked them to include three things in their poems: action, a comparison, and some metaphorical thinking.
We ran out of time…which I should say was intentional planning on my part. It wasn’t, but I am reminded of the value of time away from a draft if you want the young writer to really take another look and make the piece better. Using my poem as an example, we read it carefully, looking for the action, the comparison, and the metaphorical thinking. Then they went back to their drafts to finish them and to make them better. And they did.
O took one of those infamous lizard photos and wrote a short but sweet piece.
Things to do if you are a Lizard
Climb up walls like a snake.
Climb up on a sun on a bright green stem.
Run fast, fast, fast, fast!
Grow back your tail.
G found a flower in one of the garden beds, stretching a bit further with her words.
Things to do if you are a Flower
Reach for the sun
get picked into a bouquet
Blossom in spring
Be in a wedding and shine like the sun
Enjoy your life
Share life and health and happiness
Shine like the bright yellow sun
Tap dance in the breeze like a bird’s chirp is music
Send invitations to animals far and wide
to pollinate and see you bloom into
the prettiest flower
F is one of those quick-to-get-done students and thought he had finished yesterday. Today’s mini lesson was the perfect nudge to get him to push himself a bit further–although there’s still some room for growth.
Things to do if you are a Strawberry
Be red and shiny.
Let yourself grow!
Don’t let bugs eat you!
Have a big family that lives on a big bush.
Your petals help you grow and get washed by the rain.
The strawberries are like red poinsettia flowers.
Red strawberries shine like rubies.
Red roses are like ripe strawberries.
And of course, I had to get in on the fun!
Things to do if you are a Yellow Broccoli Flower
Shoot towards the bright blue sky
Soak up the sun in your bright yellow flowers
Sway in the breeze like you’re dancing the tango
Send invitations to the pollinators: Party at Broccoli’s house–all are welcome
Shed your petals and become part of a child’s healthy dinner
As I finish this post, the spring equinox announces that spring has sprung. Welcome Spring! (Although the first graders have been feeling your presence all month!)
On this day that celebrates all things green, my backyard beckoned. I headed out with my camera, zoomed in close, taking delight in evidence of spring as the days lengthen and temperatures warm.
Nature’s mathematical miracles spiraling toward spring
My husband and I disagree about dandelions and their value in the world. I am forever photographing them in all their beautiful phases while he is determined to chase them from the lawn using whatever means possible.
I collect picture books about dandelions. Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena is one of my favorites. And when I see dandelions in full fluff, I think of them as wishes waiting to come true.
So yesterday while scrolling my Instagram I came across this post on an account I follow. I promptly took a screenshot and texted it my husband who was sitting right next to me in our living room.
Screenshot
His reply: I want to know more about out how they fertilize grass.
But I’m thinking that the lawn that is looking so good right now is not just the result of his dedicated attention and the rain that is providing ample water to grass that has in the past lived a thirsty life. Those dandelions that I love and he chases must be playing some role in this lawn improvement! And he did say just today that if he mows them over, so be it. But if the lawn mower misses them, then they can just add a bit of sunshine to the lawn!
In a couple of spare moments between parent-teacher conferences today this email heading caught my eye: Significance of the Seemingly Ordinary. It was a Daily Good article, which always begin with a quote. Here was the one from today:
As I read through the teaser paragraph I became even more intrigued. It describes a movie where the character takes a photograph of the store across the street every morning at 8 o”clock. He has 4000 photos meticulously labeled and mounted in albums. Photos that are the same…and not the same. When he shows them to a blocked writer, the writer flips through the photos quickly, not knowing what to say, says, “They’re all the same.” The photographer replies to him, “You’ll never get it if you don’t slow down, my friend.” You can read more of the story here.
I found myself connecting on two different levels. The photographer in me is intrigued. Why take the same photo every day? But then again, I do find myself taking the same photos over and over again. Maybe the light is different, or the angles…or even my mood. I frequently take photos of this iconic palm tree–here’s a small sampling of my many photos of this one tree.
“One has to be in the same place every day, watch the dawn from the same house, hear the same birds awake each morning, to realize how inexhaustibly rich and different is sameness.”
The experience of taking the same photo over and over echoes what it means to be a teacher. Each day is filled with sameness. I greet the same faces, the same small humans for nearly a year. And yet, no two days are the same. At my best, I take hundreds of mental photos of my students every day as I strive to pay attention to the nuances of their individual learning processes. I need to know them–when the sun is shining, when the fog hides their features, in a tight close up, as the sun sets.
To be a teacher is to learn to appreciate the richness and difference of sameness. And as I navigate the sometimes groundhog’s day-ness of parent-teacher conferences I find myself thinking about sameness in a different way. During each conference I am taking stock of those thousands of mental images, knowing that supporting learners (and their parents) is in the small moments. It’s in the slowing down even when the world keeps urging us to speed up. When I got behind in my conference schedule today I was tempted to cut things short, to “catch up.” But the conversations were meaningful, adding new images to my store of mental photos of my students, their families, and their learning and I know I’ll be perusing them in the weeks to come.
And now I think I’ll be looking back over my photographs to see what else I can learn–from them and about myself.
Back on Saturday at the SDAWP Spring Conference (I wrote a bit about it here. ), I attended a session called Seeing with Wonder: Cultivating a Deep Understanding and Appreciation for Nature Through a Creative Lens. The presenters, Wendy and Alice, encouraged us to slow down and participate in long and leisurely observation. During the session they asked us to adopt a tree–and since it wasn’t reasonable to be outside finding trees in the short time frame of the conference session, they had a collection of photos blown up, framed, and posted around the room.
My own photo from the Hall of Mosses
I selected a moss-covered tree that reminded me of my time in Olympic National Park’s Hall of Mosses. I engaged in that leisurely observation, sketching and writing about the details I noticed. Wendy and Alice then led us through a different definition of Haiku. Instead of focusing on the 5-7-5 syllable structure, they gave us seven rules of Haiku. But most importantly, they encouraged us to compose a three line poem in the spirit of Haiku that was a single breath.
Screenshot
I’m not so sure I achieved all the goals of this one breath Haiku, but here is my Haiku from Saturday.
Thinking Through My Lens 