ERIC Number: EJ1376741
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Feb
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0025-5769
EISSN: EISSN-2330-0582
How Big Is a Leaf? Mathematical Modeling through STEM Inquiry
Fry, Kym; English, Lyn D.
Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, v116 n2 p99-107 Feb 2023
How might fourth graders address the problem of measuring the size of a leaf? And why might their classroom teachers choose such a shape to measure? One group of fourth-grade students in an urban Australian school were interested in knowing the sizes of leaves on a passionfruit vine growing at their school. The children were excited after a visit from an agricultural scientist, who shared his knowledge about photosynthesis. This article presents mathematical modeling explored in their classroom, as students explored ways to predict the surface area of a leaf (leaf size), within an agricultural science context involving fruit production. The first author and her co-teacher, who regularly shared teaching responsibilities, worked with an agricultural scientist in designing the inquiry for their fourth-grade class.
Descriptors: Grade 4, Urban Schools, Elementary School Students, Measurement, Plants (Botany), Mathematical Models, Prediction, Science Instruction, Foreign Countries, Inquiry, STEM Education
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-9840; Fax: 703-476-2570; e-mail: publicationsdept@nctm.org; Web site: https://pubs.nctm.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A