For those of you who haven't experienced the thrill of kayaking, let me begin with a short introduction (to the sport, the mathematics unit, and myself). If you've been here before and already read the intro's, you can just walk in the door.
Kayaks are similar to canoes but generally smaller, built for bigger rapids (known collectively as "whitewater"), and made of different material. These are just generalities however, as there are many canoes that can handle whitewater as well as any kayak. Most kayaks are designed for one person (these are called solo boats) though there are a few that are designed for two people (called tandem boats). There are kayaks for virtually any type of water you can think of (see fun pic's below): sea kayaks (for oceans and, yes, seas), touring kayaks (for lakes and really gentle moving water), whitewater kayaks (for, you guessed it, whitewater -- that means rivers, i.e. moving water, that have rapids, i.e. rocks and things that cause the water to swirl around it and make white-colored foam, hence the name), recreational kayaks (for beginners and kids, usually used on lakes or gentle rivers), and playboats (for serious kayaking pro's who do things like "enders" and "surfing").
In this unit, your students will learn about measurement, problem solving, slope, volume, rate formulas, weight, density, lines or curves of best fit, and the mathematics of prediction -- among other things! In addition, I hope that your students will also discover a new interest in, appreciation of, and even affinity for mathematics. I thought of this idea for a mathematics unit on kayaking as I was listening to a presentation on expedition paddling at an REI store (REI stands for Recreational Equipment Incorporated and is probably the BEST place for outdoor equipment of all kinds, including paddling, to check it out, click this button ). As the speaker was talking, I wrote down all the possible mathematics topics that could be addessed with a kayaking theme. This website is what resulted.
What can I tell you about me? Well, I am a mathematics educator with about 10 years of experience in teaching people from elementary-school-age to adults. I have degrees in mathematics, teaching mathematics, and education. I've graduated from Belmont University , Jacksonville University , and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville . Currently, I am an Assisstant Professor of Mathematics Education at West Texas A&M University (to visit, click this button ) but must admit, I feel more at "home" on the east coast (Virginia & Tennessee mostly). I have been kayaking for about four years and am totally hooked on the sport -- as is evidenced by the four kayaks I currently own! (see pic's below) I think the sport is appealing for several reasons. First, anyone, and I mean anyone, can do it. *OK, so it might take you a little practice to perfect your technique, but what doesn't?* Second, it is a great way to escape, exercise, and entertain. Third, it's just plain fun!
Now that's you've had a little introduction, I bet you're ready to get on with the lesson! Next, you will have the chance to take a look at the lesson plans, to examine the activity sheets provided (and be encouraged to develop your own!), and to surf to other web sites that will be useful as you teach this unit. Although the unit content is similar, there are different activities and tasks for elementary, middle, and high school students. Oh, and if you enjoy the site, have a suggestion, or just want to make "first contact", feel free to click on the swinging pencil (on the bottom of most of the pages) and drop me an email!
). As the speaker was talking, I wrote down all the possible mathematics topics that could be addessed with a kayaking theme. This website is what resulted.
