NEIGHBOURHOOD MATHEMATICS

CURRICULUM

Mathematics/Graphing/Number/Statistics

Links to: Social Studies,English

Levels 2-4

BACKGROUND NOTES

Your local school block or any block in your local area provides plenty of number, graphing and mapping opportunities for your students. Activities are best suited to small groups.When all data has been collected, groups/individuals must record their findings in the most suitable graphic form.

Activity One: Calculate the distance around the local block by using a trundle wheel.
Activity Two: Traffic and Cars

• How many driveways are there in the block?
• How many cars are parked in driveways?
• How many cars are parked on the street?
• What is the most popular colour of the parked cars?
• How many upright traffic signs (stops, driveways etc.) are there around the block?
• How many moving cars went past a predetermined point during a 5 minute period?

Activity Three: Houses and Buildings

• How many dwelling houses are there in the block?
• How many offices or shops are there on the block?
• How many houses have visible garages on the block?
• How many different colours are the houses painted?
• What is the most common building material of the houses around the block, eg brick, wood, aluminum etc.

Activity Four: Environmental Features

How many trees are planted in the street area (outside houses and buildings) of the block?
How many power and/or telephone poles can you count on the block?
How many drains are there on the block?

Recording Our Answers

Challenge the students to record their answers in graphic form which will become part of an attractive wall chart of data. Students must select from the list below and be able to justify their selected method of recording. It must reflect accuracy but also consider the aesthetics of the chart.

• a tally sheet
• a bar graph
• a pie graph
• a line graph
• strip graphs
• pictograms

Extra for Experts

Have groups consider and discuss the environmental state of the local block, eg

• are there any obvious environmental problems on the block?
• how attractive is the block?
• are there litter problems?
• are their sufficient trees and shrubs and are they appropriate?

Write a group report on the environmental state of the block and suggest ways that it could be improved. Include data in the report to back up the findings.