Zane Middle School outdoor math classroom

Abstract[edit | edit source]

The purpose of this project was to design an outdoor math classroom for our client's representative, Beth Baker, at Catherine Zane Middle School. Mrs. Baker believes in outdoor class activities because she realizes that the traditional teaching methods are not beneficial to all students. The Bluenotes created a teachers podium, a coordinate grid, and a number line to meet the clients needs of an outdoor math education environment.

Background[edit | edit source]

Beth Baker, one of the math instructors at Zane Middle school, wished to engage students in an outdoor activity environment so she could assist students who struggle with practical applications of basic math concepts in a way that is engaging to students. The Bluenotes, consisting of Israel Duque, Jason Patrick M. Reid, and Roger Turlington, came together in Lonny Grafman's, Spring 2018 Engineering 215-Introduction to Design, class to create an outdoor math classroom.

Problem statement and criteria[edit | edit source]

Before meeting with the Bluenotes, Mrs. Baker used a portable coordinate grid. She wished to redesign the coordinate grid because it does not allow enough space for students to comfortably execute transformations. It was also difficult to set up due to its tendency to become tangled. The Bluenotes were also tasked with designing an aspect of the classroom that allowed Mrs. Baker to comfortably be the center of attention while giving instructions.

A set of criteria and constraints were developed with the client to clearly define what the client wanted. The criteria were weighted and used to make decisions about the design and constraints were limiting parameters on the criteria.

Table 1: Criteria definitions and weight

Citeria	Weight (1-10)	Constraints
Safety	9	Will not pose a health risk to students.
Durability	8	Maintenance less than 5 times a year.
Accessibility	7	Provides students with a learning outdoor activity.
Portability	7	will be able to row podium.
Flexibility	6	.Will be able to use the grid as first or four quadrants.
Cost	4	Will cost less than $425.
Environmental Impact	4	will not damage the environment.

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  Fig. 1: Coordinate Grid.

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  Fig. 2: Portable Podium.

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  Fig. 3: Number Line.

Description of final project[edit | edit source]

The final design is a 13x11 rectangular coordinate grid. Each grid line is 4 inches wide and each node is 2 feet apart. The north and west outer grid lines, facing the coordinate grid with your back turned to the classrooms, are painted white. The south and east outer grid lines are painted green. The perpendicular grid lines located in the center of the coordinate are painted red. The different colors allow Mrs. Baker to give directions based on colors, making it easier for the students to grasp the concepts.

The Bluenotes also created a podium for Mrs. Baker to use while she is directing outdoor math learning sessions. The podium is lightweight and easily portable, allowing for minimal transportation effort.

Prototyping[edit | edit source]

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  Fig. 4: Chalk grid prototype.

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  Fig. 5: Number line prototype with tape and chalk.

Costs[edit | edit source]

Table 2: Material Costs

Quantity	Material	Source	Cost ($)	Total ($)
4	1"x10'PVC Pipe	Ace Hardware	5.41	21.64
12	Tee 1"PVC	Amazon	1.59	19.09
2	3-way elbow 1"PVC	Amazon	13.76	27.52
1	1" PVC connectors - Straight	Ace Hardware	0.69	0.69
40	10x3/4 dry wall screws	Almquist Lumber	.02	.80
24	pipe straps	Ace Hardware	0.49	12.32
1	foam Tape	Ace Hardware	3.99	3.99
1	PVC cutter	Ace Hardware	13.99	13.99
2	3M PRO Grade 9x10 180GR	Ace Hardware	1.79	3.58
2	SANDPAPR 9x11 GR80	ACE Hardware	1.79	3.58
4	Butterball Slide Formula Longboard Wheels clear/green core (75a) 70mm	Tactics Skateshop	33.95	33.95
1	04BBI1/25X5 12MM Baltic Birch BB/BB 5X5 INTR	Almquist Lumber	29.95	29.95
1	21CUTBOARD CUTTING BOARD PIECES MIXEDSPECIES	Almquist Lumber	1.25	1.25
16	Marking Paint	Ace Hardware	7.59	122.69
2	Podium Legs	Thrift Store	2.49	4.99
1	Sidewalk Chalk	CVS	3.99	3.99
1	Masking Tape	Ace Hardware	1.99	1.99
2	Painters Tape	PPG Paints	5.99	12.58
1	Box Cutter	Ace Hardware	1.59	1.59
1	Stencil Material	PPG Paints	14.24	14.24
2	Box of Wood Screws	Ace Hardware	4.29	9.05
Total Cost				338.99

Testing Results[edit | edit source]

Upon the final testing, we found that the coordinate grid was effective, giving the teacher more time with the math activity, since there was no set up time. The number line had enough space to fit an entire classroom, and Mrs. Baker observed that students were using the number line outside of class time for fun!

How to Build[edit | edit source]

Maintenance[edit | edit source]

The grid and number line require little maintenance, and should last two to three years before needing to be repainted. The podium requires some maintenance one the wheels.

Schedule[edit | edit source]

Yearly

• Check on the bearing in the wheels.
• Check on state of the paint.

Every 5 years

• Sand down wood
• Check wheel to see if replacement is needed

Instructions[edit | edit source]

Troubleshooting[edit | edit source]

Problem	Suggestion
Wheel not spinning	Change the bearing in the wheels
Broken legs	Replace them (replacements were provided)
PVC broke	Cut out broken section and mend using 1" coupling
Can't figure out how the activities work	Contact Beth Baker

For complex issues contact ID6@humboldt.edu

Poster[edit | edit source]

Discussion and Next steps[edit | edit source]

The podium is to be delivered to Zane middle school. We met our goal of creating a podium, a permanent grid and permanent number line. The teacher is thrilled with the results, and the students are excited to engage with the grid. Some of the students enjoy the grid enough that they are playing on them outside of class.