MATH TRAILS
Math Trails began in Australia in 1985 by a mathematician and his colleagues. They developed math activities for their
family vacation in Melbourne. The idea
has spread around the world and has been used in many cities (e.g. Boston, New
York, Washington D.C.) as a way to merge mathematical and historical content
and exploration. Math trails do not need
to be completed on paper and are often conducted by guides who engage visitors
in discussions around the concepts and topics.
Why bother? Because a math trail
includes
- Problem solving
- Making connections,
- Communicating
- Applying learned skills in meaningful contexts
- Examine mathematics in the environment - beyond the classroom walls
- An atmosphere of adventure and exploration
- Gives students an opportunity to examine concepts they are studying in class in real-life situations
Math trails can occur on or off school property. They are, by their very nature, ephemeral,
and must be revisited and redone before each use.
Developing a Math Trail:
- Choose a site
- Identify 5-7 sites to visit
- Visit locations and examine the “view” from many different angles and heights
- Take photographs to remind yourself and cue your followers
- Create a map and sequence and number the sites on the map
- Think of on-site activities and classroom follow-up activities for after the trail
- Questions should be linked to what’s happening in the classroom now
- Have your questions critiqued by other teachers to ensure they are rich and will pique student curiosity
Sample photographs and
accompanying questions for a Math Trail


How to create a math trail for
your community
Hitting the Math Trail
Meaning Math Trails – Nrich Math
- Make sure you have enough adult supervision while the pupils are doing the trail, perhaps as "check points" as Avril did, or to actually accompany groups.
- This is an ideal opportunity to involve parents/carers in their child's maths.
- Why not ask the children to make up a trail themselves, perhaps for younger pupils in the school? With discussion and guidance this could be a worthwhile follow-up activity.
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