Meaningful Contexts

The NZ Maths Curriculum states:  
In a range of meaningful contexts, students will be engaged in thinking mathematically and statistically. They will solve problems and model situations that require them to: (then lists the Achievement Objectives)

What are Meaningful Contexts? 
Is the usual Maths Text (work sheet) activities meaningful for most students? whether it be 4 + 5 =  ? or use Pythagoras to find the length of the 3rd side of the triangle.  Apart from doing as they are told or pleasing me the teacher, is there a real reason for the students to answer?

To me a meaningful context is something that appeals to students whether it be cultural, imaginative, a challenge, a real life situation, something that really engages the learning and they see a reason for finding the answer/solution.

In a previous post "TwentyOne" I suggest the "Challenge to beat me" was a meaningful contect for many of the students I worked with.

Over the years I have seen so much "busy work' in maths that no wonder we produce so many people who dislike or "cant do Maths"

At one mini conference I attended the Manager of a large printing company, welcomed us and said "I admire you people with your interest in maths and science...  I just cant do maths!!"  At morning tea I challenged him and asked why he said that. In the discussion he revealed that he was an accountant and did budgets and kept records etc.  HE DID NOT EQUATE ACCOUNTANCY TO MATHEMATICS.  I suggest that is because he did not explore maths through meaningful or real life contexts!!!

I suggest that many of the measurement activities that we get students to do are often not motivating for them and they therefore do not learn the required objectives we had hoped.

    Is there a need for students to be measuring the netball court, when it is already marked out?

    Why do we ask students to measure the height of the door to the classroom?

I suggest that we need to look for activities that have a “realness” to them so that the students can see a reason for investigating and completing the activity and hence developing the skills of measurement.

Perhaps we need to rephrase the netball court in a different way,

    “There is a limited budget available for spending on court markings. 
    To help the BOT decide how much money is available we need to know how much it will      cost to repaint the netball court lines”

We now have a situation where there is richness to the activity rather than just taking the trundle wheel and measuring the lengths of the lines.

As a School Committee member, before ‘Tomorrows Schools’ I was asked to estimate the cost of repainting the school swimming pool.  
I felt that this was better done by the senior children as a ‘practical measuring activity.  
We, the School Committee, told the students the cost of the paint was and what area a litre could be expected to cover.  
The students had to work out the surface area and then decide on how many litres of paint and consequently the cost.  
The important outcome was that their maths was used to assist the Committee and the students actual saw the pool being painted!!!!!

The challenge for each of us is to find, WITH THE HELP OF OUR STUDENTS, interesting tasks that will help them achieve the desired learning outcomes.

Have you considered reading books like "Counting on Frank"   as a starting point for a maths investigation:  (Is Frank's investigation about Ball Point Pens still true?)



How many students in the class have attached ear lobes? and how many have unattached?



In Gulliver's Travels Gulliver's thumb was measured and from this one measurement the Little People made him a coat.  Would this be true today, How could we find out?


How much pocket money does each child get in the class?

What can you tell me about Kowhaiwhai Patterns?


In the Bible Goliath was described as being "6 cubits and a span". Would he fit through the classroom door without banging his head?

In the song "Twelve Days of Christmas" many things are mentioned.  How much would all these things costs?  check out this link 12 Days of Christmas

New class in 2020  (Year 4+) check in with me for an interesting "Trait" investigation with a Circular Graph