3 Cross-Curricular Ideas for Geometry

Geometry shouldn’t be confined to the four walls of a mathematics classroom. Break the barriers and make geometry more applicable for students by integrating it into different subjects and activities.

We’ve all been there. You learn information for a test and forget it once you’ve gotten the grade. If we say we’re aiming to make life-long learners out of our students, we’ve got to rid the need to keep mathematics (geometry, specifically) in one classroom. So buddy up with a teacher from a different subject and let’s make math more applicable for students.

Use these three ideas to bring geometry to life in the classroom (and even outdoors).

1. Use time in PE class to talk about angles. An easy way to do this is by setting students up around a basketball hoop and requiring them to move around once the teacher shouts out “isosceles, right angle,” etc.
2. Ask students to write a haiku about geometric shapes. See if classmates can guess the shape, but sure the author doesn’t include the name in their Japanese, three-line masterpiece.
3. Join forces with an art and design teacher. Have students create plans for a housing project, but make sure there’s enough room for furniture, doors, etc.

There are plenty of other ways to integrate geometry across subjects. Have an idea? Share in the comment space below.