Objective:
Get students to engage actively and start thinking about math concepts.
Materials:
- A large blank canvas (a few meters in size)
- Geometrical instruments (protractor, compass, ruler, set square)
- Paints
Procedure:
- Start by introducing yourself to the students and greeting them.
- Invite them to look at the large canvas and explain that this painting is about to become a "Math's Marvelous Mystery" art piece.
- Begin by painting a large, free-form shape on the canvas.
- Ask students to come up, using geometrical instruments to re-create the shape you made.
- Once all the students have had a chance to create, introduce mathematical jargon into the discussion. Examples could include area, angles, perimeter, and symmetry.
- Using these terms, start exploring the shape with your students and ask them to identify its features.
- From there, ask students to create their own shapes using mathematical terms you have covered in previous lessons.
- Allow students plenty of time to create their shapes before coming together as a class and analyzing the shapes' mathematical properties.
- Finally, display their work around the room and refocus the discussion on how mathematics can be applied in art and the real world.
Conclusion:
The aim of the lesson is to encourage students to engage with maths creatively and apply their knowledge constructively. By incorporating artistic elements and allowing for students' creativity, you can build a foundation of mathematical concepts that students can apply in all of their academic lives.