There have been much talk in the media about humans and their relationship to the environment, and many students often wonder what is, and will be their contribution to maintaining the environment that is safe from pollution, and therefore fit for continued existence. The theme behind the development of this unit will be to present topics that are presently found in the mathematics curriculum and use them to create a link between ecology and mathematics.
It has been a difficult task to find hands on projects that will capture the imagination of the student and at the same time teach important mathematics concepts.
This unit will attempt to provide hands-on activities through the creation of a classroom window garden. Students will plant, build where necessary containers, develop glass ecology systems; and during these procedures apply the concepts of area, volume, perimeter, weights and weight conversion and simple graph to investigate and relate the activities of plant growth to mathematics.
I share the beliefs that if teaching is to be relevant to the students needs then students must become involved in the learning /teaching process, therefore this unit will require the students to undertake simple projects, and be engaged in some type of activity.