Integrating Math With Other Subjects {math notebooking}

One of the problems with modern schooling is the artificial divisions it creates. Children are put into grades based on their ages, rather than their learning abilities. Learning is labeled as scholastic and non-scholastic. And subjects are divided as if they had no connection with each other. This is one reason many people have a hard time grasping the concept of math notebooking.

We have been trained through this system of artificial divisions to think of math in terms of numbers and equations. And how can you notebook that? But when we step outside of this box, the variety of ways that notebooking can be used in the study of math becomes much more clear.

History & Math: The Fibonacci Sequence

Someone say, "math" and we think numbers. But if someone says, "the history of math" something entirely different comes to mind. For instance,

• how, when, and by whom were numbers first used?
• what did those numbers look like, and how did they change over time?
• what were some of the most important mathmatical discoveries, and who made them?

Think about "geography and math" and you will come up with a different list:

• how did the first explorers use math in navigation?
• how do we use mathmatics in navigation today?
• what do numbers look like in different countries?
• how is math done differently in those countries?
• how is math used in mapmaking or in reading a map?

You might be tempted to object that this is not really a study of math at all. But when you child is able to see how math relates to other subjects, they will understand why learning math skills is important for what they want to accomplish in other areas of life.

Here are more ways to integrate math with other subjects:

• Learn about famous (and not so famous) mathematicians. Mathematicians Are People, Too and Mathematicians Are People, Too Vol.2 are good books to use, and there are already  free notebooking pages for these books available online. (Here is a PDF of the Fibonacci notebooking page from the picture above.)
• Study math as it relates to music. (You can start by watching this YouTube video of a song composed using the numbers of Pi.) Learn about rythmn, beat, intervals, etc.
• Combine math with your poetry studies. Jimmie Lanley has written some Math Poetry Lessons you can use.
• Use literature books to teach math concepts. The Love2Learn2Day blog has a great post on Math In Children's Literature and I found many additional book suggestions on this MATH Pinterest board.
• Teach math as part of your science studies. Record your results. This Lesson Planet article has some ideas to get you started.
• Mix art and math. Here are 12 Ways To integrate Math Into The Arts Curriculum.

Once you begin to think of ways to integrate math with other subjects, there is no end to the ideas for math notebooking that you will discover.

This is post is the second in the Math Notebooking Series.


*Go to Part One of the Math Notebooking Series*

*Go to Part Three of the Math Notebooking Series*