Math Problems Are For The Birds

FAIR OAKS - Math teacher Betteanne Shields wanted to do something different to help her Madison Middle eighth-graders grasp the geometry and measurement concepts she kept trying to teach.

Based on their test scores, she knew it wasn't sinking in.

So she tried thinking outside the box. Shields created geometrical math problems that when solved gave the measurements for a small birdhouse. On Dec. 20, the students walked next door to Presbyterian Villas, 4011 S. Manhattan Ave., to present their 42 birdhouses as holiday gifts for the seniors living there.

"As a teacher, you love this. It was so cool to see them talking and arguing," Shields said. "Now they'll never forget what a regular pentagon is, which they always do."

The students worked in pairs to create blueprints. If the measurements were wrong or the angles not perfect, Shields sent the designs back. When done correctly, she cut out the wood pieces at home for the students, who glued the houses together and painted them.

"It even had a perch," said William Masey, 14, whose favorite subject is math.

He painted his birdhouse purple and yellow - the colors of his favorite NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings.

"It was something fun to do," he said. "When building it, it was like doing a math project."

For Carol Whitmer, a resident at the villas, the students' visit was a highlight of her day.

"Anything like that is a nice break in the routine around here," said Whitmer, who put her blue birdhouse decorated with flowers on top of her television in her living room.

"A lot of work went into that," she said. "They did a lot of work."

The students started the project in early November and worked on it each Friday until the houses were painted and delivered last week. Their finished blueprints were handed in at the beginning of December, just in time for another test of their comprehension.

"I think it worked. Their scores went up," Shields said. "It was independent learning, which is what high school is about. We're trying to set the fire for these kids."