Instead of the typical location of Room 505 for math lessons, Class 5 students headed to the Hayot Center for Innovation to begin an intriguing assignment. “Our next project will provide you with an opportunity to show mastery of all operations of whole numbers and decimals,” said Math Teacher Heather Vardis.
To her left, Director of the HCI Jonathan Olivera held up a wooden clock, laser cut numbers etched into the wood. “You’re going to be designing your own clock!” This protype, he said, was made last year with Class 10 students. While the fifth graders wouldn’t be making use of the laser cuter and wood saw, they were going to create a similar version using thick cardboard and other materials inside the HCI.
What was required, Ms. Vardis explained, was for each hour on the clock face to be represented by a mathematical expression that equaled the 1-12 numbers. Each expression was to be unique and mathematically correct. All operations (+, -, X, ÷ ) were to be used, with the option to make use of parentheses, factorials, exponents and square roots as well. Students were not to use one operation more than three times.
The fifth graders were encouraged to bring their creativity and make the clock visually appealing. They were permitted to use any color and/or theme in addition to any of the available items in the makerspace (tissue paper, tape, colored pencils, fabric, etc.).
The clocks, ultimately, would be fully functional with working hour and minute hands. “The battery makes the clock run,” Dr. Olivera explained. “There’s no on or off switch.” He also noted that the hands needed to be light in weight in order to revolve correctly. “Keep that in mind for your design,” he said. The students also needed to ensure that their cardboard base was strong enough to hold the hands and battery-operated motor.
“You’ll need to punch a hole in the center for the gears to connect,” Dr. Olivera continued. Luckily, he noted, there’s a handy tool in the HCI to do just that! “It’s important to space your expressions correctly, too,” he added, pointing to the templates in the center of the table that would help with alignment.
The students excitedly began to work on crafting their 12 expressions. Once complete, the students brought their worksheet to Ms. Vardis for approval. Some of the equations that were used included:
3! x 1 = 6
(8 x 6) – 36 = 12
5! ÷ 40 + (32 – 2) = 10
√16 + (10.3 – 7.3) = 7
The students then began slicing their cardboard into their desired shapes. One student, when explaining her design, shared that she loves volleyball, thus, she drew a ball with a silly face in the center of her cardboard. “The clock’s hands will be the volleyball guy’s arms!” Another student traced her cardboard in the shape of a flower. A third was creating a space-themed face while a fourth designed hers to look like a pizza pie.
During their 45-minute block in the HCI, the girls worked diligently, chatted excitedly and shared their ideas with friends. To complete the assignment, they would use individual time during upcoming Advisory or study halls. This fun project, which allowed our students to be independent and creative while fostering mathematical thinking, makes analog clocks far more fun to use!
