What can you measure in this picture?

The picture on this blog page shows one of the seats in front of my school. Students sit there everyday and probably never notice or relate anything that they are learning in math class with that bench. When you saw those blue tiles did any mathematical notion come to you? I can see students finding the perimeter of one square tile (P=s+s+s+s) or the perimeter of the surface. They could measure the volume of the rectangle (V=l x w x h). Are there places in your building that students could measure? How about the length of the sidewalk or the area of the lunchroom tables? For younger students they could identify the shapes. The possibilities are endless.
Tracy

Writing Long and Short Response Questions in Math

The importance of writing in Mathematics can no longer be ignored. Long gone are the days of computation skills being the measuring stick to student success. Students are now required to not only show what they understand but to also solve problems and justify their thinking. This no easy task and is one that must be started early. The ability for a student to express his understanding requires more than just mathematical knowledge. It also requires students to be fluent readers and well as writers. I encourage teachers from every grade level to incorporate "math writing" as well as "science writing" in to their language arts curriculum.