Math and Statistics Awareness Month began as Mathematics Awareness Week in April, through a proclamation by President Regan in 1986. It extended to Mathematics Awareness Month in 1999 and was renamed Math and Statistics Awareness Month in 2017. The focus has always been to communicate the importance of mathematics to a larger audience.
As we enter April, let’s participate by promoting awareness in school and the community. There are a multitude of activities that can be coordinated to have fun and be informative. Students may not always be eager to dive into mathematics, but here are some activities that could brighten their perspective:
- Math Poetry – During a unit on geometry, I gave students the opportunity to write a poem about their chosen shape. I did not give them any requirements, to allow them to express their creativity. Then, I allowed students to volunteer to share with the class (and we even snapped at the end of each poem!).
- Daily/weekly math challenges – Provide math problems, puzzles, or riddles students can solve by the end of the chosen time period for prizes.
- Cross-curricular lessons/activities – When students can see how math is interconnected to other content areas, they can grow a better appreciation, and this can lead them to make their own real-world connections.
For more ideas, check out Classflow's article on 10 Ways to Get Your Students Excited About Math Month!
Don’t let your school be the stopping point, though. Invite the community to participate in spreading awareness. You can do so by hosting a Math Night event. At this event, you can provide a variety of games and activities that allow people of all ages to participate and win prizes. You could also send information to parents on how to support their student(s) with math at home. This could be in the form of articles, videos, or quick tips. You could also take these opportunities to inform the community of how you use Knowre Math to provide a positive math experience for students.Math and Statistics Awareness Month is a great time to include your school and community in the world of mathematics. Doing so can increase the appreciation of math among your students, parents, and other members of your community.
