The Westminster summer campers learned more about area and perimeter in an outdoor setting. They measured the perimeters of  garden plots with string. Then they brought their measurements back inside where  their math work was shared with the class. In groups they decided how many lettuce plants would fit into certain spaces. Tiles were used to represent square feet and clay to represent lettuce plants. These were mixed groups of children from 6 to 10 years old. They listened respectfully to each others’ ideas. They learned a lot about real math work while having fun in the garden. Scroll down to see more:

Measuring perimeter.Perimeter:  total distance around the plot. Just how many feet is that? Area: square feet within the perimeter. How many square feet? How many lettuce plants will fit?Student thinking shared with the class 1st grade through 5th grade.