Running Head: FAMILY MATH FAIR PLAN 1

Family Math Fair Plan

Johnny Hughes

Capella University

Dr. Amy Gaskins

ED5507 – The Art of Planning Mathematics Instruction

August 11, 2018

FAMILY MATH FAIR PLAN 2

Family School Math Fair

Community involvement and communication is an important aspect of education. Parents

need to feel connected to the school to be fully vested in their child’s education. One way to

involve parents and the community in the school’s culture of learning is to offer outreach events

such as a math fair. The following essay will entail this type of event and give details pertaining

to is such as goals, activities, and responsibilities of the shareholders involved.

Rationale and Goals

A community math fair should be enjoyable, welcoming, and constructive. While giving

the parents and children a memorable family experience, it also must enhance the mathematical

standards and goals of the school. Schools that give this type of event must name the targeted

goals and create methods to reach those goals.

Family Math Fair Goals

The first goal of family math fair is to create a sense of community and involvement with

the parents. When parents feel connected, school achievement rates increase and better relations

between the parents and administration occur. More importantly, students benefit coming from

parents that like the schools. Those students attend school more regularly, complete homework

more consistently, earn higher grades, and have higher self-esteem (New Hampshire Department

of Education, 2018).

The next goal is to create collaborations and relationships with the local community.

Family math fairs are great opportunities to create partnerships with local businesses and news

outlets. Dwindling school budgets place hardships on students and teachers, and this is a chance

to connect with businesses and civic organizations that are willing to help or give donations to

the school (Education World, Inc., 2018).

FAMILY MATH FAIR PLAN 3

The third and most important goal is to let the students have a fun evening and to showcase

their work to boost morale and self-esteem. Students’ confidence levels are tied directly to

grades, learning ability, and self-respect. Children need to feel self-worth, and this is an

opportunity to make them feel good about themselves (Duari, 2018). This event gives the school

an opportunity to empower them, leading to future successes.

School Goals and Collaboration

I teach at a public charter school in Aiken, SC. The school contains grades 4k to 8th grade

and classifies as a Title 1 school. The school’s director named a goal of having 90% on-level

achievement for the year-end state math assessment. Unfortunately, the school came up woefully

short last year, so this will be a difficult goal to achieve. As written above, boosting student

morale is tied directly to mathematical achievement (Duari, 2018). Confident students earn

higher grades, so this event would help move the students toward that 90% assessment goal.

While the math family fun fair is mean to be fun, all math family fun day activities will

align with South Carolina state mathematical standards. Teachers and the event coordinator will

work with the school academic administrator to ensure alignment to the standards. The academic

administrator will sign off on all games to show efforts toward the school’s mathematical goals.

Another goal is higher teacher involvement in school activities. While this is a family math

fair, all teachers should be involved, as the children are students of all teachers, not just the ones

who teach mathematics. Students need to see that teachers are involved in their lives even after

school ends for the day. This shows teachers as role models and makes the students and parents

see they care for the children so much that they take time out of their personal lives (Guyana

Ministry of Education, 2017).

Proposed Activities
FAMILY MATH FAIR PLAN 4

The school has three wings which are treated as grade departments. Each of the three

wings contains eight classrooms with approximately 20 students each per class. The yellow wing

is lower elementary (4k to 3rd grade); orange wing is upper elementary (3rd to 5th grade), and the

blue wing is middle school (6th to 8th grade).

The South has a strong attachment to college football, and Southern obsession with

college football is almost equal to its love of religion (Dykes, 2012). College football is an

ingrained part of this area’s culture, and the parents of the school are obsessed with Clemson,

Alabama, Georgia, and Carolina. Each wing of the school could represent one of those college

teams for a family math fair titled “College Mathletes.” I teach on the 3rd to 5th grade hallway

(orange wing), so this list will entail activities for that area.

Beanbag Fun

The orange wing has an outdoor paved covered walkway that runs the length of the

hallway (the length of four classrooms). Several chalk grids could be drawn on the concrete for a

multiplication game. Numbers 1-5 or 1-10 could be drawn on each side of each grid. The

students would throw beanbags at the grid, and the student must multiply the numbers that

intersect within a given amount of time for a small prize such as candy (Dillon, 2018). 4th and 5th

grade have multiplication standards, so the 3rd grade chart could be changed to addition or

subtraction in the same manner (South Carolina Department of Education, 2018).

Math Scavenger Hunt

The orange wing is attached to an open area and recess field. One or both could be used

to hide answers to mathematical problems. The problems would be given to the students on

index cards, and they would have a set amount of time to find the answers. The answers would

be written or attached to items in the recess area such as cans, bricks, balls, or milk jugs. There
FAMILY MATH FAIR PLAN 5

would be many items out in the field, but only some of them would have the correct answers

under them. The students must bring the ones with the correct answers to win a small prize.

Field Goal Fun

Not all children are interested in outdoor games, and some may have mobility issues. The

school library has a cabinet of Android tablets that could be used to set up stations that would

allow the students to play mathematical video games. The use of technology stimulates student

interest and increases their mathematical abilities (NCTM, 2018). There are countless games and

apps that can be accessed or played on Android tablets, and one such game is Field Goal at the

Hoodamath website (Hoodamath, 2018). This game would appeal to those students while

keeping them engaged.

Student Work

While not an activity, the teachers would decorate the school with projects and

assignments created by the students demonstrating their mathematical talents. The art teacher

teaches every student in the school, so she could have them create art work with geometric

themes. She could also take her higher level students and create math-themed art work on the

walkway coming into the school using sidewalk chalk.

Roles and Responsibilities

I, as the coordinator of the fair, would make sure each of the shareholders did their part. I

would ensure the stations are set and all volunteers are trained for their parts prior to the event. I

would also check that all parents and media are aware of the event and all pertinent details such

as time and location.

The upper grade activities would be student-directed. Those grades would be overseen by

the math teams lead for that hallway, and she would use the school clubs and other responsible
FAMILY MATH FAIR PLAN 6

students to run the game stations. Grades 4k to 5th grade would be teacher and parent-led. Parents

are required to volunteer 30 hours per year to keep their child enrolled at this public charter

school, so this would be a great opportunity for parents to get those needed hours. The team leads

for those hallways would coordinate and oversee the stations to ensure they are manned and run

properly.

Administrations would be over social media announcements and contact with the parents

and local news media. The teachers would contact all parents to inform them of the event and to

ask parents if they know of any local businesses that would like to sponsor the event or be

involved in any way.

Resources

The school is in on the outskirts of the city of Aiken but is in a convenient area with lots

of parking and land. The upper grades would use the soccer field while lower elementary would

use the gym. 3rd to 5th grade (orange ball) would use the covered areas and recess field. Various

supplies for the orange hall would be needed such as:

 Android tablets and chargers

 Tables and chairs

 Timers

 Chalk

 Index cards

 Beanbags

 Small prizes such as candy

 Scavenger hunt items such as bricks, cans, balls, and bottles

 Water bottles for students and volunteers

FAMILY MATH FAIR PLAN 7

References

Dillon, S. (2018). A field day for math. Retrieved from

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/field-day-math/

Duari, P. (2018). Importance of self esteem among students in academic performance and coping
with stress. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-
3465849051/importance-of-self-esteem-among-students-in-academic

Dykes, M. (2012). College football rules the land in the South.

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/sports/ncaafootball/college-football-rules-the-land-
in-the-south.html

Education World, Inc., (2018). school-business partnerships that work:

success stories from schools of all sizes. Retrieved from
https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin323.shtml

Guyana Ministry of Education, (2017). Roles of a teacher in the classroom. Retrieved from
http://www.education.gov.gy/web/index.php/teachers/tips-for-teaching/item/1603-roles-
of-a-teacher-in-the-classroom

Hoodamath, (2018). Field Goal. Retrieved from

http://www.hoodamath.com/games/fieldgoal.html

NCTM, (2018). Strategic use of technology in teaching and learning mathematics. Retrieved
from https://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-Positions/Position-Statements/Strategic-Use-
of-Technology-in-Teaching-and-Learning-Mathematics/

New Hampshire Department of Education, (2018). Why family and community involvement is
important. Retried from
https://www.education.nh.gov/instruction/school_health/health_coord_family.htm

South Carolina Department of Education, (2018). Standards. Retrieved from

https://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/mathematics/standards/