Math Moments!
At Advent, math is more than numbers and equations. Problem-solving and real-world applications encourage students to see mathematics as both a language and a tool for understanding and engaging with the world around them. Math learning is collaborative, project-based, and visible, with students using drawings, manipulatives, models, and conversation to make their thinking explicit and open to reflection.
Here are a few of this week’s math moments across the grades.
ECC
ECC mathematicians practiced sorting by size using pom poms. Students learned the words small, medium, and large and even created their own system: tiny, middle, and BIG! Friends took turns choosing pom poms and sorting them into groups. “WE HAD 8 LARGE ONES! So that’s the most!” one mathematician observed.
Kindergarten
Patterns are the structural foundation of mathematics, and this week Kindergarteners explored patterns by taking their math learning outside the classroom! On a pattern walk along Brimmer Street, students spotted patterns in crosswalks, traffic cones, tires, and even the branching veins of leaves. Back at school, they photographed the patterns they discovered and recreated them using loose parts.
First Grade
First Graders tackled their first story problems of the year and learned that solving them requires reading, understanding, and doing math! To help break down the problems, students learned the CUBES strategy: Circle key numbers, Underline the question, Box important keywords, Eliminate unnecessary information, and Solve.
Second Grade
Second Graders practiced counting and grouping with tally marks, using the strategy to organize objects and strengthen their understanding of groups of five. They also explored coins, sorting pennies, nickels, and dimes and preparing to combine different denominations to solve math problems.
Third Grade
Third Graders put data collection into action! Each student chose a question to investigate, surveyed the entire Third Grade community, and organized the results using tally marks. Topics ranged from favorite candies and movies to the best outdoor activities and favorite types of potatoes. Students then transformed their data into bar graphs, carefully identifying their x- and y-axes. Their creativity—and their enthusiasm for asking questions—made this project a highlight of the week.
Fourth Grade
Fourth Graders reviewed addition and subtraction strategies while tackling challenging number puzzles that required perseverance and creative thinking. They also revisited geometry, using their student reference books to identify shapes and determine what makes a polygon. These reference books will help students build greater independence as mathematicians. Next up: measurement, lines, line segments, and angles!
Fifth Grade
Fifth Graders explored area through real-world applications, from calculating the number of cubes in a rectangular prism to determining how many tiles would cover a bathroom floor. They then applied their thinking to farmland, connecting area and multiplication to their upcoming visit to Farm School—a perfect example of math extending beyond the classroom.
Sixth Grade
Sixth Graders took statistical questions into the real world. After learning that a statistical question is one that can have multiple answers, students developed their own questions and traveled to the Longfellow Bridge to collect data. They organized their observations using tally marks and used the results to explore patterns in their data. Their work was on display during Education Night, giving families a glimpse into how Sixth Graders use math to investigate the world around them!
From sorting pom poms to collecting data on the Longfellow Bridge, Advent mathematicians are learning that math is everywhere—and that asking questions, looking closely, and making sense of what they discover are all part of being a mathematician.
