Our K-8 school, located in the small seashore community of Spring Lake, New Jersey, has a wonderful playground with two structures for the primary grade students. During recess the first and second graders alternate use of this play area. Recently, we had a discussion about the "fairness" of this arrangement. My first graders concluded that it was fair because of safety reasons.

Further discussion found the children outside, observing how they used the equipment and wondering how much safe space really was needed. One of the students identified that a builder or architect would need this kind of information when setting up the playground. The children formed their math problem and solved it as a group. We took pictures of the two play structures and later, students illustrated how they solved the problem.

Finally, we compared our findings with information located via the Internet and provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

"Handbook for Public Playground Safety," publication #CPSC-325, Washington, DC.

"Stationary climbing equipment and slides should have a use zone extending a minimum of 6' in all directions from the perimeter of the equipment."

Math topic:

· Measurement
· Converting non standard units to standard units of measure by addition

Grade: 1

Math Problem:

Your playground has a large connected play structure ("jungle gym"). It includes two slides, some climbing bars, poles, tunnels, and ramp (no swings).

How much safe space is needed around the structure?

Hint: Children frequently fall forward when getting off the slide. Take the farthest measurement. Use standard or non-standard units of measure and convert later.

Solving the Problem:

We measured several children landing on their feet and then several who fell forward with their arms out in front (belly flop style). We used a stick that was 36 inches long to measure. We wrote down the measurements each time as "number of sticks long".

Standards Correlation: (From New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards) 4.1 Students will develop ability to pose and solve mathematical problems in mathematics, other disciplines and everyday experiences.

4.2 Students will communicate mathematically through written, oral, symbolic and visual forms of expression.

4.8 Students will understand, select and apply various methods of performing numerical operations.

4.9 Students will develop an understanding of and will use measurement to describe and analyze phenomena.

Here's how we solved the problem:

Measured from base of slide	Number of sticks long (stick = 36 in.)
8 children landed standing on feet	Less than 1 stick (24 in.)
8 children fell forward with arms outstretched	About 2 sticks

We measured with a stick that was 36 in. long. We changed 2 stick lengths to inches by using addition:

1 stick = 36in.
2 sticks = 36 + 36 = 72in.
72 inches = 6 rulers that are 1 foot so 72 in = 6'

My students posed an additional problem. They wanted to know how much play space there was in between our two structures.

Here's how we did it: they measured 2 stick lengths out from each jungle gym and filled the space in between with themselves, standing together in a line.

Back in classroom, they measured their 10 student line. It was 3 sticks long or

72" + 36" = 108"

They had a great time doing this kind of math and we'll be outside looking for other things on our "math trail". Thanks!