How to Do a Math Trail: The Assignment

• Arrange the students into working groups. Each group should have a manager, a recorder, a photographer and other members. Each person must know his job. (Ms. Toliver notes, "Sometimes I let students choose their own groups, but more often I assign them myself, perhaps with some mathematical scheme. In life, they won't always be able to choose who they work with, and I want them to develop the ability to work well with many different people.")
  

• Tell the students that their book must have an introduction, a map of the community, and instructions as to exactly how to follow their trail.
  

• Allow students to take one or two periods to go out and determine the sites and problems of their trails. They should work out how they will divide up the work of putting their book together, and do so in the next two periods.
  

• Emphasize that students should be very proud of the final product before they turn in their books.
  

• Before turning in its book, each group should present its results to the class.

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