Have you seen those online quizzes and brain teasers that present something neat that is mathy? The type of puzzle that some people can just “see” or “get” while others take some time to figure it out or don’t even try? Some of my children love those, and others do not – at all. We’ve been having fun with the lessons in the MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle from NatureGlo’s eScience. We’ve been able to play with Math Connections in the Real World, MathArt in Ancient Cultures, MathArt in the Arts & Sciences, and MathArt – Patterns in Nature.
Intended for ages 10 and older, I shouldn’t have been surprised when my mathy 8 year old wanted to join in on all the hands-on activities we did. The child I was most hoping would enjoy this, our “math-allergic, art-loving” high schooler, enjoyed some of the lessons from Math Connections with the Real World (where we spent most of our time). We found some lessons more math intense (in the language used) than others – and those were the least-favorite among the non-mathy learners. Mathematics in the Arts & Sciences is the next one we’ll be digging into. Just from our perusal, we have found much to spark interest – especially for the arty ones.
The lessons contain a mix of video, slides and downloadable pdfs. There are also activities that can be found on interactive websites, lapbooks, additional videos, as well as hands-on drawing and measuring. My children loved the options of all of these multi-sensory things to do. They worked in groups on various activities throughout our studies. We found when given the choice between viewing the lesson as a video or slideshow, we preferred the slideshow. This let us go through the segments of the lesson at our own pace, spending time on rabbit trails or skimming material that was familiar. The videos are recorded from live classes, so there is student interaction with the participants as well as some slow moments while waiting for responses, etc.
Just some of the fun things we did and started seeing (everywhere) while going through Math Connections with the Real World. After exploring how many areas you can see the Fibonacci spiral or the Golden Rectangle or the Golden Ratio, it is easy to see the hand of the Creator everywhere. This course does not touch upon religion (except in a historical sense relating to ancient cultures, etc.) but you could easily introduce and incorporate this yourself.
The other courses in this bundle have a closer, specific relationship with other subject areas. The Mathematics in the Arts & Sciences has obvious connections; as does MathArt in Ancient Cultures. The fourth class in the bundle, MathArt: Patterns in Nature is one we’re going to enjoy using this summer when we are spending so much time outdoors. With each course intended for 6 weeks duration, you could easily spread these out over the course of a year. Our use has been during our morning time, covering one lesson each week (or so). You could also take more time, especially if you are going in depth on a topic and completing more of the activities.
Read more thoughts as shared by other Crew families who have been using courses from NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle. Simply click the image below.
