Viewing Response: Nick Sayers Interview

Stop 1 — "I'm not good at math"

One of the first moments that made me stop and think was Nick's comparison between people saying, "I'm not good at math" and people saying, "I'm not a good artist." We tend to reduce vast, complex fields to a single entry-level skill — arithmetic for math, drawing for art — and then decide we don't belong in either world. Monet didn't pass a realistic drawing test. So why do we assume mathematics belongs only to people who can calculate quickly? This reframing feels important both personally and in my own classroom. How many students have already closed a door on themselves before they've even seen what's behind it? Perhaps I can still be an artist!

Stop 2 — Polyhedron Garbage Bags

This project genuinely moved me. The idea that garbage bags — limp, ugly, ordinary — can become Archimedean (I had to look those up) and Platonic solids the moment wind moves through them is such a powerful metaphor. The math is already there in the structure, but it takes action, movement, energy to reveal it. I loved the equation he offered: 10 litres × 5 shapes × 0 contents. These perfect geometric forms contain nothing, and yet they become something extraordinary. As a teacher, this makes me think about how we can create conditions where the math reveals itself through doing, rather than just describing it from the front of a room. I wonder what it would look like to strip an activity down to its simplest possible form and let the structure do the work?

Stop 3 — Collaboration and the Unplanned

Several moments in the interview touched on how Nick doesn't always have the end in mind when he begins a project — and how bringing work to the public, to schools, to festivals, opens it up to new directions. The camera obscura project is a perfect example: it came together partly through a collaboration with an optician father of his daughter's classmate. That's math and art connecting people, not just ideas. This reminded me of when I presented at the SSHRC grant event in Kelowna and an elder spoke about a concept in the Syilx language — one I can only approximate in English as "igniting the spark" — the idea that bringing something unfinished into contact with others can generate something neither party could have reached alone. As a teacher, this gives me permission to not have everything figured out before I bring it to students. Their input is part of the design.

Stop 4 — The Aral Sea and the Powers of Ten

I wasn't expecting to be floored by an environmental moment in a math-art interview, but the Aral Sea stopped me cold. Seeing what damming did to an entire sea — a ship graveyard where water used to be — is one of those images that reframes your sense of scale and consequence instantly. Combined with his reference to the Powers of Ten film, there's something here about math as a tool for seeing at scales we can't otherwise perceive. It's yet another reminder that data and geometry can carry moral and emotional weight — that numbers aren't neutral.

What does Nick's work offer me as a teacher?

My biggest takeaway might be the most personal one: how important it is to find your passion and let it drive your practice. Nick's projects span geometry, optics, environmental science, performance, and public education — and what holds them together isn't a curriculum, it's genuine curiosity and delight. As a teacher, I want to bring that same feeling into the classroom — the sense that something exists because I couldn't stop thinking about it. The pedal spirographs, the pinhole camera, the bicycle cog drawings — these aren't illustrations of math concepts. They are math, alive and in motion.

Questions for Nick:

When you bring projects to schools, how do you handle the tension between open-ended exploration and curriculum expectations? And with the bicycle cog drawing project — I would have loved to hear more about how students responded and what mathematical conversations came out of it. Did anything surprise you?

I would be happy to share both this post and my questions with Nick if he has time to respond.

What If Math Felt Like Art?

George Hart’s article, What Can We Say About “Math/Art”?, reflects on the emerging field of math/art and its lack of a coherent framework. As both a mathematician and artist, Hart suggests that while the field is rich with interesting work, it has not yet been clearly defined or formalized. He argues that much of what is labeled “math/art” might be better understood as craft, design, or visualization rather than fine art—not as a criticism, but as a call for greater honesty about what the field is and is not. Throughout the article, Hart compares math/art to fine art and highlights how difficult it is to define either, making the creation of a clear framework even more challenging. Still, he remains hopeful, imagining math/art as an emerging third space—a “volcanic island” rising between mathematics and fine art, still taking shape.

In the article, Jasper Johns’ Numbers is used to question the boundary between fine art and math/art. Johns uses numbers as visual elements, yet the grid structure of the painting is inherently mathematical. Even if he was not intentionally “doing math,” mathematical relationships clearly shape the composition. This made me pause and wonder: does hidden mathematical logic make an artwork mathematical, and does the artist’s intent actually matter?

The Bridges perspective, as described by Fenyvesi (2016), suggests that this might be the wrong question altogether. Their work is grounded in the idea that mathematical structure is inherently aesthetic, and aesthetic choices are inherently mathematical. From this view, the math in Johns’ work doesn’t depend on his intention—it emerges through the structure of the piece itself.

Art is often understood as driven by feeling and intuition rather than logic. However, I suspect members of the math/art community would argue that mathematical thinking feels much the same. Throughout this course, a recurring idea is that both math and art are fundamentally about recognizing and expressing patterns, structures, and relationships. If that is the case, then the divide between them may be less about how they are created and more about how we choose to see them.

How we choose to see math/art is shaped by our point of view, and Hart notes that those within the math/art community are often their own most engaged audience. Fine art institutions are not the ones paying close attention, which raises questions about what is valued within different artistic spaces. Perhaps this is because math/art places equal emphasis on both mathematical structure and artistic expression, while fine art traditions prioritize something else entirely. Still, I question whether this is truly a problem. Many communities are most energized by their own work—why should math/art be any different? Value can be created from within. Hart’s metaphor of math/art as a “volcanic island,” a third space between disciplines, suggests that it is still forming, still growing, and perhaps not meant to fully belong to either world. This tension between structure, intention, and perception doesn’t just matter in theory—it has real implications for how we teach mathematics.

This is where the value of math/art lies for me as an educator. The wonder of mathematics is often lost in dry, pencil-and-paper experiences. When students only encounter math as procedures and correct answers, many potential mathematicians are left behind because they never experience its beauty. Math/art offers another entry point—it makes the abstract visible and tangible, and invites curiosity rather than compliance. If we want students to see themselves in mathematics, it is our responsibility to create opportunities for them to experience that sense of wonder.

Can you think of any students who would have thrived if thinking of math as a creative endeavour? How do we create balance in our classrooms for all students to thrive?

References

Fenyvesi, K. (2016). Bridges: A World Community for Mathematical Art. The Mathematical Intelligencer, 38(2), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00283-016-9630-9

Hart, G. (2024). What Can We Say About “Math/Art”? Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 71(04), 1. https://doi.org/10.1090/noti2920

Imagination First

This was a challenging week for me as a human. One thing I've carried from learning Indigenous ways of knowing and being is that we show up as whole people, and this week I showed up sick. I thought I was going to have the gift of time to do some mathematical dance with my class on Thursday, but instead I had to pivot and look after myself. Luckily, watching people dance and talk about math together was inspiring — even if I couldn't get up and dance myself.

When I first thought about how to integrate math and movement, I felt somewhat bewildered. But the further we get in this course, the more I'm convinced that doing math through the arts means we develop a deeper understanding of it. I don't think we can get there without a real deep dive — and that is exciting to me as both a teacher and a learner. Not knowing how to begin is what drew me down a rabbit hole, exploring and eventually joining the Dance Equations website. Doing so allows you to download Miranda Abbott's books for free and gives a wealth of example lessons on video.

While digging into the website, I decided to contact Miranda on WhatsApp and she responded within minutes, ready to share her passion for math and dance. She left me a voice message explaining that while math can be set to movement in a gestural way, building a dance equations practice long term requires starting with a movement vocabulary — slowly developing a way of moving the full body, so that it becomes genuine dance rather than math simply illustrated with hand gestures.

Her message went on to describe how she begins such lessons, which are also detailed in her book: students start by walking equidistantly in the space, then repeat the same walk at a low level, then a mid level. Simple, scaffolded, and full of spatial and geometric thinking before a single number appears. And her best tip? Get in there yourself. Apparently students find it absolutely hilarious to see their teacher on the floor with them, moving as if their body was filled with water — and that laughter and joy is exactly the kind of entry point that makes students feel safe enough to take risks.

So though my intended activity turned into more of a plan, I am genuinely excited for what's to come. I have a five day challenge arriving in my inbox and will modify it to work with my students. My goal is one movement and dance lesson a week, starting with the basics of dance vocabulary, in the hopes that as we grow more comfortable moving in new ways, the mathematics will find its way into the movement naturally.

You know, I used to think math required a keen number sense and a mind sharp at memorizing formulas. After the past few weeks, I'm becoming more convinced that the key ingredient is actually imagination — and all of us, especially kids, are creative, imaginative beings. Maybe that's where mathematics has always lived, in the imagination, long before it ever reached the page.

                      Miranda responded within minutes — passion is contagious.

 The article, Learning to Love Math Through the Exploration of Maypole Patterns, explores what happens when non-math majors are invited into mathematics through collaboration and curiosity rather than correct answers and rigid problem solving. Student Julianna Campbell writes alongside her professor Christine von Renesse to describe how a maypole dance became the entry point for genuine mathematical inquiry. The class explores the patterns ribbons make when dancers weave over and under each other, ultimately asking: how many non-equivalent ribbon patterns are possible given a certain number of dancers and colours? Along the way, students embarked on an extremely rich mathematical journey, developing their own definitions, conjectures, and proofs—they even invented visual tools like the “tree representation” to sketch patterns without having to physically dance them every time. Remarkably, the mathematical results the students produced were quite rigorous—they developed proofs and theorems that would hold up in any math classroom, not just a liberal arts one.

My first stop was the list of meta-goals in the classroom pedagogy section. They made me passionately exclaim, “Exactly!” These aren’t content goals—they are attitude goals: building confidence, encouraging curiosity, developing a positive relationship with mathematics. This is vitally important because I am convinced that attitude is the starting point for any real change in mathematics education. If students and teachers continue to see math as something to survive, no curriculum, no matter how creative, will reach them. I’ve also seen how easily math becomes something to minimize—shortened periods, or entire strands like measurement compressed into a single day and ticked off a list. It makes me wonder what messages we send students about what mathematics is and what it’s worth. The goals Professor von Renesse lists feel like what every math classroom should aspire to, and yet they’re rarely stated so plainly. While these goals reshape what we value in math classrooms, the article also shows how those values are lived out in practice.

My second stop was the detail about the English professor and the Math professor modeling being students together in each other’s classrooms. There’s something quietly radical about that. When teachers show students what it looks like to not know something and stay curious anyway, they’re giving permission. Permission to struggle, to ask basic questions, to begin. I think we underestimate how much students are watching us—not just for content, but for how we behave when things are hard. Julianna’s story is a perfect example of what becomes possible when that permission is genuinely extended.

The moment that genuinely moved me—my biggest pause—was when Julianna describes admitting,“I don’t even understand the concept of a factor. Why is it a factor?” and then writes, “I will never forget Professor von Renesse’s reaction–she was almost thrilled” (p.134). That line made me surprisingly emotional. A teacher’s response in that exact moment can change everything. How many students have asked a question like that and been met with impatience— or worse, been made to feel foolish? And how many mathematical identities were quietly shaped in that instant? I keep thinking about what it would mean for students if confusion was met not with frustration, but with genuine excitement. In many ways, that one response—thrilled, not irritated—captures the heart of the entire article.

My question for discussion: Think about a time in your own math education when you admitted you didn’t understand something. How was that received and how did it shape how you showed up in math class after that?

References

Campbell, J., & Von Renesse, C. (2019). Learning to love math through the exploration of maypole patterns. Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 13(1–2), 131–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513472.2018.1513231

For this assignment, I explored Ali and Colin's concentric circle number representation activity inspired by the work of Wassily Kandinsky.

This week’s activity had me stretching my thinking in multiple ways. First, I found a sense of wonder in the way Sarah Chase’s brain worked–moving multiple parts of her body in a seemingly seamless choreography of dance. Thank goodness she broke down her ideas into moving ‘3 against 2’ because my body and brain could manage that activity. I marveled at how grounding the movement into thinking of mother, myself, father, summer, and winter made it all somehow more doable. I found myself enchanted with this activity, though I admit, I didn’t take it further to try to extend the activity. Mostly, because envisioning trying to have my grade 3s do such an activity made me feel instantly stressed. I could try this with a small group, but decided to look at Ali and Colin’s concentric circles instead as this seemed more in line with what my class would embrace and like to wrestle with.

The first thing I decided was that I needed to remind myself how base 3 worked. I instantly felt a pang of jealousy toward those that could whip out any base–something counting system like it was a breeze. I was briefly distracted by thinking about how I could use Kandinsky circles to round numbers to the nearest ten, but first wanted to try the activity as presented. I decided to try base five with the Kandinsky circles and realized how accessible base five felt. I suddenly felt like I could handle any base–well at least I knew if I didn’t get it, I just didn’t get it yet. Armed with four colours (white=0, purple=1, blue=2, red=3, green=4), I began trying to code my circles using base 5, and division was my friend. I also chatted with Claude AI and used the tool as a teacher of sorts, bouncing my ideas around and needing some reassurance that I was doing it correctly. Ah, the need for mathematical reassurance–sometimes I get bogged down by that need and am working on trusting my mathematical gut. I can, I must, I will!

I found creating this Kandinsky inspired art to be relaxing. I felt that the more time I could spend with it, the more it would make sense. I started with the numbers 1-16 and then wanted to know what would happen if I tried 77-80. Finally, I was getting to use the outer ring! As I was doing this activity, I realized that my students aren’t dividing yet and that this would be a difficult activity  for them. This is where the integration piece from our course readings became crucial-I didn’t want to just abandon the mathematical depth of the activity, but I needed to make it developmentally appropriate for my group of students.

Odd/even and rounding

Base 5 circles 1-16

Base 5 circles 77-80

This activity is spot on for addressing the course’s key question: how do we integrate embodied, arts-based activities with traditional mathematics teaching without trivializing either? The Kandinsky circles activity isn’t just fun art, it requires students to develop a systematic notation for representing numbers, to recognize patterns, and to translate between different representations. This feels like a low stakes way to start incorporating more arts-based, embodied mathematics into my practice–which, as this week’s course materials reminds us, is a multi-year journey with many baby steps along the way.

Extensions I explored and could use with students:

• Base 5 instead of base 3

• This would be more accessible to grade 3’s than base 2 or 3 as the numbers grow slower, patterns are clearer

• Adapted using circles for rounding to the nearest ten 

• Innermost ring = odd/even

• Middle ring = lower decade

• Outer ring = higher decade

• Adapted circles for use with place value

• Each circle represented ones, tens, hundreds and could go to thousands with four rings

• Floor circles using for embodied place value (explored in my mind)

• 3 concentric circles on the floor/draw on blacktop

• Students jump in each ring corresponding to place value

• Example-361: jump 3 times outer, 6 times in the middle, and once in the center

• Kinesthetic understanding of magnitude 

• Makes abstraction concrete

Curriculum Ideas:

Guiding Questions:

• How can numbers be represented in multiple ways? 

• Can visual and physical representations deepen our understanding of an idea?

• How do we create systematic notation?

Possible Learning Arc:

• See, think, wonder-Look at Kandinsky artwork and the Chamberlands’ mathematical version

• Explore creating circle for chosen numbers

• Discover patterns, compare with classmates

• Detective work-decode each other’s circles

• Innovate: can you invent your own system?

• How does this connect to our base 10 system?

Embodied Learning Ideas:

• Floor or blacktop concentric circles for jumping place value

• If group understands other bases, could also jump base n patterns

• Give students manipulative for grouping in new bases

• Create large scale outdoor version with sidewalk chalk or paint a mural on bulletin board paper

Art:

• Colour choice and design

• Variety of mediums

• Start a mathematical art gallery (I have started hanging up some of my work)

• Learn about Kandinsky (also connects to language arts and social studies)

Pencil Paper Math:

• Math journal reflections

• Problem solving

• Place value notation practice

• Many lessons on base system after exploration

More Possible Extensions:

• Students invent their own base/colour system

• Can students create a way for this to express skip counting by 10 or any other multiple

• Try adding/subtracting with circles

• Explore number properties through patterns (primes, multiples)

• Use larger numbers, needing more rings

• Challenge: create mathematical art with systematic rules

• Add to Math and Mingle night as a family activity

• Different colours for various decades

.

Bring in the joy!

This week's article explores whether combining physical movement with mathematics instruction can increase both student engagement and physical activity levels.  Riley et al. (2017) present compelling evidence for this approach through the EASY Minds Program. During a six-week intervention, 4 teachers and 66 students in Australia participated in lessons that integrated physical activity with mathematics. This qualitative study involved interviews with teachers and focus groups with students to explore their perceptions and experiences after participation. Before lessons were designed and implemented, teachers received one day of training and were encouraged to be creative in incorporating physical activity within mathematics instruction. The results clearly demonstrated that the approach was highly beneficial. Most students reported more time on task, a deeper understanding of concepts, and more enjoyment. Teachers also commented that lessons were more enjoyable for both themselves and their students. The lessons in this project were conceived within the framework of  the NSW Quality Teaching model, in which lessons “promote high levels of intellectual quality, establish a quality learning environment and generate significance by making learning meaningful for students” (p.1656). This study suggests that movement-based mathematics instruction can address both declining student engagement in mathematics and insufficient physical activity levels in schools.

A moment to note: teachers in this study received one day of professional development, along with a bag of goodies—stopwatches, tape measures, bean bags, all the things they'd need to actually do this. And honestly? That's huge. Because here's what usually happens at PD: we get excited about some new idea, and then we go back to our classrooms and realize we have no clue how to actually make it happen. Or worse, we feel like we're doing everything wrong because there's so much newness coming at us all at once.

But giving teachers actual resources—a literal bag of gear—takes some of the time burden off, and I can't stress this enough. I get 120 minutes of prep time a week, and the rest of the time I'm with tiny humans who need my attention constantly. I don't have time to reinvent the wheel, even though that's precisely what I long to do. So any scaffolding—like that bag of gear—makes it way more likely I'll actually embrace the change.

Here's the other cool part: teachers were given just a few sample lessons, and that was by design. At first I thought, wait, don't we want the whole thing prescribed and written out? But then I realized—being creative is a joy in itself. Just like our students take more ownership when they come up with ideas, we teachers feel pride when we design something that came from our own understanding. That creativity gets lost when we're trying to plan a lesson plan in every subject area. It doesn't have to be innovation all the time in everything, but purposeful innovation some of the time increases our ownership and makes us want to work harder.

This article feels like the antithesis of negative math experiences that are still so pervasive in our schools. This contrast hit me hard this week when I went to the high school as a parent, and one of the vice-principals started talking about math by saying, “I know that many of us don’t like math and have had negative math experiences, and I promised the math teachers I wouldn’t make this painful.” Then he went on to describe AP math: "If your kid eats, breathes, sleeps, and is always excited about math, then this could be the program for them."

That framing troubled me. My eldest child is taking Pre-Calc 12 this year and plans to continue with Calculus—he doesn't eat, sleep, and breathe math, but he's always felt a sense of pride in being able to do well in it. The problem is the attitude that both parents and teachers have about math as this dry, boring subject that's just pencil and paper.

The idea that we could increase enjoyment and participation in math by getting outside and moving our bodies? This is what I’m passionate about. It reminds me of the Math and Mingle event I organized in September—outdoor stations, games, weaving, obstacle courses– all math. As families rotated through activities, many didn’t even recognize they were doing math, and I think that’s doing a disservice. We need to engage families and students around what math is and can be. Yes, it needs to be balanced with pencil and paper, but we need to do a better job of increasing the joy.

There's this quote from a student that connected with me so much: "EASY Minds stands for its name. It lets your mind relax and go through things, as you're doing fitness, or you're doing something else that you actually like and you're mixing it with mathematics. That just makes it a whole lot different to what we normally do" (p. 1662).

This reminded me of memorizing long monologues for theatre. One of the tricks is to be busy doing something else—folding laundry, cooking, whatever—because when your body is occupied with a familiar task, your mind relaxes and the words flow more naturally. The same principle applies here: when students’ bodies are engaged in movement, their minds may actually be freer to grapple with mathematical concepts. The key is: relax, relax, relax. Joy matters for everyone–for the student and for the teacher. I can’t wait to give some outdoor activities a try with my grade threes. 

What small change could you make to bring movement or joy into your math teaching–even just once this week?

Student timing himself on obstacle course at Math and Mingle - bringing movement and joy to math!

References

Riley, N., Lubans, D., Holmes, K., Hansen, V., Gore, J., & Morgan, P. (2017). Movement-based Mathematics: Enjoyment and Engagement without Compromising Learning through the EASY Minds Program. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(6). https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.00690a

 

Assignment EDCP 553-26

Discovering Pi: A Multisensory Journey Through Circles, Nature & Art

 

 

 

Kristie McClellan & Colleen Kanigan

Draft Outline

EDCP 553: Teaching and Learning Embodied Math Outdoors and Via the Arts

Dr. Susan Gerofsky

February 9th, 2026

This project introduces Grade 2/3 students to the mathematical relationship between circumference and diameter through hands-on discovery in nature and artistic creation. Students begin by measuring trees outdoors, discovering that the distance around a circle is approximately three times the distance across. This concrete understanding is then explored and reinforced through multiple art forms—needle felting, clay coil pottery, and visual design—allowing students to represent and internalize the concept of pi through touch, sight, and creative expression. By engaging students' bodies, minds, and artistic sensibilities, this multisensory approach builds a strong conceptual foundation for future formal learning while honoring the BC Grade 3 curriculum's emphasis on measurement concepts, spatial reasoning, and arts integration.

Mathematical Topic and Pedagogical Focus

Mathematical Focus:

• Core concept: The relationship between circumference and diameter

• Grade 3 curriculum connections:

• Measurement using standard units 

• Introduction to circumference concepts (as outlined in BC curriculum)

• Fraction concepts (parts of whole, equal partitioning) 

• Construction of 3D objects and their attributes

• Mathematical skills:

• Measuring

• Comparing

• Estimating

• Pattern recognition

• Representing quantities in multiple ways

      Embodied, Arts-Based, and Outdoors Pedagogies

• Outdoor embodied measurement of tree circumferences using yarn, body-based measuring strategies, and comparison of lengths

• Embodied expression to represent characteristics of circumference/diameter and pi. (students pace out diameter length, mark with stones, then pace circumference placing stones at each diameter-length interval to physically experience the 3:1+ ratio)

• Collaborative physical exploration of circles through movement, tracing and constructing a variety of circles outdoors

• Arts-based representations of circumference-diameter relationship through coil pottery and sculptural circle construction 

• Fiber arts (needle felting) to create circular shapes and explore repeated lengths representing circumference

• Visual design activities documenting and representing circular patterns observed in natural environments

Annotated Bibliography 

Bennett-Pierre, G., & Gunderson, E. A. (2023). Fiber Arts Require Spatial Skills: How a Stereotypically Feminine Practice Can Help Us Understand Spatial Skills and Improve Spatial Learning. Sex Roles, 88(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-022-01340-y

Authors state that improving non-rigid spatial skills in early education directly translates to higher math performance in higher grades. Cross-disciplinary collaboration would bridge transition to STEM concepts, and same-gender role models would address gender biases towards fibre arts. I still see the divide between the Art kids and the Maths kids in schools. STEM/ STEAM can be a transformational way to bring everyone to the table. I work with 2 males who knit: same-gender role models of fibre art can be so powerful to pre-adolescent and teen boys. 

Bjørnebye, M., & van Bommel, J. (2025). Expressive Extensions of Number Sense in Embodied Task Design Through Full-Body Performance. Education Process: International Journal, 16(1), 2025246. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2025.16.246

This study examines how students, aged 6-9, extended their understanding of number sense 

through full-body outdoor movement activities, analyzing expressive qualities such as pace, weight, bodily coordination, spatial interaction, and improvised body shapes.  The research demonstrated that students showed high engagement and creative, artistic expression when combining structured movement sequences with embodied mathematical exploration outdoors. This article directly inspired our embodied pi discovery activity of marking the diameter with stones and measuring the circumference with sets of stones as students pace the circle, and it provides evidence-based pedagogical support for integrating whole-body movement and creative expression in mathematics.

Bočková, V., & Rumanová, L. (2024). Mathematical Modeling Approach and Exploration of Geometric Properties as Part of an Outdoor Activity for Primary-School Pupils in Out-of-School Learning. Education Sciences, 14(12), 1304. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121304

This study found that only 26.8% could solve circle problems on paper, confusing concepts like radius and diameter. When students constructed geometric shapes outdoors using string, chalk and measuring tape, they successfully created circles and line segments but struggled with constructing perpendiculars, relying on approximate methods and teacher support. This demonstrates that geometric misconceptions persist even with hands-on outdoor learning in older students, supporting our rationale for introducing multisensory circle exploration much earlier in primary grades to build correct understanding of geometry concepts.

Brezovnik, A. (2015). The Benefits of Fine Art Integration into Mathematics in Primary School. CEPS Journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 5(3), 11–32. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1732759228/abstract/D6574D4CCE9140A4PQ/1

Researchers used a control group without art integration in mathematics and a test group with art integration in mathematics in a grade five setting. Tests administered after the teaching portion resulted in higher scores for students with art integration which was attributed to higher engagement, creativity, critical thinking, and cognitive skills. Moving past the pencil + paper activities in mathematics increases engagement in any subject I’ve taught, but that it can also support enjoyment for mathematics is so very significant. I’ve noted that around grade 5 some students begin to show maths anxiety. If art makes mathematics accessible, if art is the entry point for those anxious students, that may be a significant way to help those who struggle.

Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2011). Early childhood teacher education: The case of geometry. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 14(2), 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-011-9173-0

Geometry is often overlooked in early elementary education but should be a focus to develop spatial thinking and arithmetic concepts. Geometry combines science with mathematics therefore teaching geometry at an early age develops spatial thinking and that relates directly to a student’s capacity for mathematical thinking. I have worked in many classrooms where geometry is introduced in very early primary levels. Students love learning about solids and other aspects of geometry and the results of this article support why geometry should be introduced to young learners.

Guthrie, A., & Beatty, R. (2025). Wiigwaas Enaabajichigaadeg Ji’Agindaasowinikeng: We Are Using Birch Bark to Do Math. Education Sciences, 15(12), 1670. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15121670

This article describes a collaborative project in which Anishinabe artists and knowledge keepers worked with grade 6 classroom teachers to teach students the process of making wiigwaas makakoon (birch bark baskets), weaving together Indigenous pedagogy and mathematical concepts such as measurement, angle bisection, and capacity optimization. Using Marie Battiste’s framework for Indigenous pedagogy, the authors demonstrate how centering Anishinaabe cultural practices in mathematics instruction created a holistic, experiential and culturally grounded learning experience for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.  This article provides a powerful model for authentic collaboration with Indigenous knowledge keepers in mathematics education, demonstrating how to integrate the BC curriculum’s Indigenous worldviews and perspectives in meaningful ways.  The article’s emphasis on learning as holistic, experiential, and rooted in land-based practices offers valuable insights for our own project’s outdoor, multisensory approach to discovering pi, and highlights how mathematical concepts can be taught through creation of culturally significant objects rather than abstract exercises.

Kuzle, A. (2023). Geometry Teaching in Transition: An Investigation on the Importance of School Geometry in Primary Education. CEPS Journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 13(2), 97–123. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1267

Researchers noted that although teachers recognize the importance of teaching geometry in early grades, implementation is lacking. Teachers did not teach geometry because they did not know which aspects to teach, or felt insecure in how to teach geometry to youngsters who were still only learning the basics of mathematics. This article answered the question ‘why don’t we teach art with maths more?’ I find delight in both subjects so blending them isn’t a stretch- I understand now why others may be uncomfortable with the practice.

Marshall, J. (2016). A Systems View: The Role of Art in Education. Art Education, 69(3), 12–19. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45466574

Art integration stimulates learning and enables learners to look at knowledge differently. Students can fit parts of academia together to help them understand concepts more thoroughly. Art integration promotes hybrid processing between analytical and associative thinking. I felt this was a foundational piece to the assignment with clear rationale and benefits for art/maths integration.

Mart, M., & Campbell‐Barr, V. (2025). Mathematics in the early years curriculum. Curriculum Journal (London, England), (Journal Article). https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.349

Mart and Campbell-Barr (2025) show that effective outdoor mathematics learning depends

on educators balancing structured guidance with child-led exploration, positioning 

curriculum along a continuum between teacher-directed and play-based approaches. This 

perspective supports our project by reinforcing the value of combining structured outdoor 

measurement activities with open-ended artistic representations, while emphasizing the

importance of teacher questioning, purposeful materials, and hands-on, embodied learning.

Nemirovsky, R., Bunn, S., & Silverton, F. (2023). Crafts and the Origins of Geometry. Formakademisk, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.7577/formakademisk.5467

The writers note that although creating geometric shapes from purchased plastic pentagons is easy and quick, making a hand-sculpted clay dodecahedron is an exercise in patience, precision, and pride. It’s a product of workmanship and problem solving that ready-made supplies cannot measure up to. The description of the struggle students overcame to use a soft material to form angular objects was remarkable and hopeful. Maybe clay is a way for students to develop grit to persevere in difficult problems: it is both forgiving and obstinate, but impermanent until the student is sure of the form created, after which it becomes a permanent representation of their struggle.

Orzelski-Konikowski, I. (2025). Shaping Young Minds through the Art of Pottery. A Fine FACTA, 20(1), 5–7. https://www.proquest.com/docview/3236256610/abstract/9B3180553FE94479PQ/1

The author discusses the benefits of students working with clay: students must manage expectations, solve problems, use math and physics, and work in 3 dimensions. A brief interview with a pottery studio owner and clay artist about the benefits of teaching with clay. Although this was written with less of a scientific angle, I liked the positivity in the description of student participation. Not all students enjoy art and I feel that aspect may be a hurdle to manage in blending mathematics with art.

Schoevers, E. M., Leseman, P. P. M., & Kroesbergen, E. H. (2020). Enriching Mathematics Education with Visual Arts: Effects on Elementary School Students’ Ability in Geometry and Visual Arts. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 18(8), 1613–1634. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-019-10018-z

MACE program (Mathematics, Art, and Creativity in Education) evaluation. Integrated geometry and visual arts proved to be beneficial in that students used geometric terms more often and were able to describe geometrical aspects better than the control group. This was an aspect of this paper that I appreciated most- that the students could discuss their learning was a significant marker of their understanding. 

Schoevers, E. M., Kroesbergen, E. H., Moerbeek, M., & Leseman, P. P. M. (2022). The relation between creativity and students’ performance on different types of geometrical problems in elementary education. ZDM, 54(1), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-021-01315-5

This study by Schoevers et al. (2022) examined how general creativity related to elementary students’ performance across three types of geometry problems–closed-ended routine, closed-ended non-routine, and open-ended non-routine–using multilevel analyses of 1,665 Dutch students in grades 3-6. Results revealed that creativity was a significant predictor of performance on all problem types, but was most strongly associated with open-ended non-routine (multiple solution) problems, suggesting these tasks place the greatest demand on creative thinking. This research provides strong empirical support for our arts-integrated approach, demonstrating that open-ended creative problems-like discovering pi through multiple artistic representations-develop both mathematical reasoning and creative thinking more effectively than traditional close-ended exercises, particularly crucial for building foundational geometry concepts in primary grades.

Sharma, S. (2024). Some Historical and Economic Facts behind the Geometry of Circles and Squares. Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business, 27(1), 301–325. https://doi.org/10.2478/zireb-2024-0014

Sharma (2024) traces the historical development of geometry, showing how circles emerged from practical needs in ancient civilizations and led to early approximations of pi while also carrying cultural and spiritual meaning across societies. This perspective supports our project by grounding students’ exploration of pi in natural circular forms outdoors, linking mathematical discovery to humanity’s long-standing observation of patterns in nature. Sharma's documentation of circles as symbols of harmony across cultures suggests our multisensory, arts-based approach can tap into something deeply human, framing the discovery of pi not as an abstract formula but as part of humanity's ancient quest to understand nature's elegant patterns, inspiring a sense of wonder and magic in young learners.

Sinclair, N., & Bruce, C. D. (2015). New opportunities in geometry education at the primary school. ZDM – Mathematics Education, 47(3), 319–329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0693-4

A literature review of papers discussing the rationale and benefits of teaching geometry at a young age (4-7 years old) and beyond basic arithmetic. The children’s ‘sense of delight’ is a common thread through the literature in this review. This article is a wealth of information regarding blending the maths curriculum with art and I appreciated the writers’ recognition of a positive affect in the students.

Tsiouri, E. (2025). Teaching Geometry and Painting: A Path to Integrating Art and Mathematics. European Journal of Education Studies, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i4.5879

Starting in grade three, students are exposed to specific artistic techniques which are then applied to learning geometry and expressing that knowledge artistically. Writers felt this workshop helped students to remember what they learned. Collaborative projects also helped students solve problems. The workshop culminates in a gallery exhibition of student work.  I felt this article was one of the most helpful for this EDCP project because activities are for third grade students, the activities are clearly described and rationale is stated.