The following was written by Chantelle Normand, a middle school math teacher and DoW STEM Ambassador. DoW STEM Ambassadors work with the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) to advance STEM outreach for students who are underrepresented in STEM or military connected. Normand was selected by MATHCOUNTS, a DSEC partner, as its DoW STEM ambassador for the 2022-2023 school year.

As a math teacher, I have been asked many times: “When are we ever going to use this in life?” Sometimes I have a great answer, sometimes I have a sarcastic answer, and sometimes I don’t have an answer at all.

I teach algebra and geometry to 7th- and 8th-grade students at North Bay Haven Charter Academy Middle School in Panama City, Florida. Though they would wholeheartedly disagree, 12- and 13-year-olds have not had enough experiences to connect most algebra and geometry concepts to real life. Because of this, one of my favorite things is to create cross-curricular projects so that they can use concepts they have already learned in language arts, history, or science to help understand math.

My goal is not necessarily to increase their mathematical abilities by leaps and bounds, but rather to introduce a situation applicable to their lives. Once students see how a concept can actually be used outside the classroom, they tend to delve deeper using prior knowledge. For example, they begin to see math as a tool for science! They see it as more than just a word problem about buying 10 watermelons for no reason. They see the real story behind the lesson. I love when I can tell that they are starting to view history statistics as math rather than simply numbers in a textbook. Or when they realize that measurements for an art project are the same as measurements in math.

If a project includes activities students can perform themselves, they become even more invested. One excellent example is the concept of perpetual motion. An art teacher might assign a task to design and build a model rocket, whereas a science teacher would explain rocket mechanics. A perpetual motion science lesson could show that gravity means “whatever goes up must come down.” In algebra, students discuss quadratic function graphs and collect data during rocket launches to discover how high a rocket climbs each second and that its path is a parabola they can graph and use to make predictions. A history teacher can further understand this concept by discussing rocket history. These are but a few examples where a single project can cover four different subjects.

Cross-curricular projects benefit more than just students—they encourage teachers to make their own new connections, which boosts morale and camaraderie. Administrators love to see students and teachers working together, so it’s a win for everyone involved.

There are so many resources available to help create these projects! I would start with teachers who already work with the same students. Some projects can involve the community or solve community problems, which can make it very personal for students and teachers. I have had such great experiences when these projects all come together, and I hope everyone sees the importance of cross-curricular work and collaboration.