“They loved it,” says Michael Daws, a math teacher at McKinley STEAM Academy. Before Thanksgiving break, students in Daw’s 8th-grade math classes took a concept and implemented it in real life.

“Mathematically, they learned how their concepts of rise and run- consistent rates of change apply to the riser and tread of the steps,” said Daws.

For two days and assistance from the Five Rivers Carpenters JATC instructors, students practiced creating stringers, learning the importance of tool safety, and hammering nails. Then, on day two, students took a field trip to the Five Rivers Carpenters JATC workspace shop and collaborated on building sets of stair stringers to combine and create a structure up to “code.”

“It was memorable,” says Daws. “The students enjoyed the live action in the shop and learning about different jobs that are out there.”

See more images from the project by clicking on the photo.

McKinley Math experience