Students get creative experiences that help to make lessons stick

A+ Schools model is based on research and assistance from OU, OSU and UCO

Math teacher Jennifer Burris skipped a couple of boring chapters in the textbook in February until she could find a better way to convey the concepts to her geometry students.

“Math isn’t about memorizing formulas. It’s about knowing how to use them,” said Burris, head of the math department at Harding Fine Arts Academy, 3333 N Shartel Ave.

When her students returned from spring break, she put them to work in teams to build the “The Wizard of Oz” Tin Man from recyclable items, and to calculate the surface area of their creations.

Based on those calculations, Burris would cut a piece of tin foil that should just cover the Tin Man. Too little foil, or too much, means the calculations were off. That would be the test over the two chapters.

As the students huddled in groups with their building materials, tape and calculators, Burris moved from table to table answering questions and giving advice and encouragement.

“Ms. Burris, this doesn’t seem right,” a student said. He explained how he arrived at the number.

“So you figured out the formula without using the formula sheet. You did it right,” she told him.

That’s something Burris loves to see. Students who gain understanding on their own never forget the concept, she said.

The Tin Man project gives them a different way to look at surface area formulas and how they apply to various circumstances.

“I have a student who asks me every day, ‘When will I use it in real life?’” Burris said.