"MAART" -- Combining Math and Art for Mathematical Fluency and Comprehension

Music's connection with math is apparent: beat, tempo, chord progressions, time signatures, all involve mathematical elements. Furthermore, music and math are both universal languages that break barriers among and between cultures.

But what of math and art? If these two spheres are related, can that relationship be leveraged to further comprehension and deepen thinking in students?

Art is about shape and line, contour, and shading. It turns out, that this is exactly what algebraic functions and equations can produce: works of art. Using the Desmos graphing calculator our boys are able to produce artworks that not only act as a check to their mathematical knowledge, but also result in deeper understanding of underlying mathematical concepts.

In seventh and eighth grade algebra classes at Saint David's, boys learn how to graph straight lines (linear equations) and parabolas (quadratic equations). Boys input their formulas and the program draws the resultant straight or curved line. The use of inequalities causes the graphs to produce shading. With the right combination of formulae and functions (and some snazzy special functions that create movement/animation), the boys can create images.

It all begins with boats at sea.

Math teachers first share their own formula-driven creations, such as a scene of a boat on water, and charge the boys with emulating it.

But it doesn't end there. Once the boys have re-created the basic picture, they are encouraged to make the picture their own by adding animation, such as a setting or rising sun, or a bird taking flight. In essence, the challenge becomes hands-on, “game-based teaching,” an approach demonstrated by research to be highly effective and motivating for boys.

"The creative freedom to add different elements drives the boys' engagement and pushes learning forward," says Upper School math teacher Mark Doocey. The process also allows the boys to make the abstract more concrete. The boys progress to creating an image of their own design and of increasing complexity: a violin, airplane, smiling face, for example. Along the way, the boys often teach themselves geometry concepts far beyond the curriculum and help each other solve design problems using their math skills, making this a collaborative endeavor in which the boys teach one another.

Throughout our program, Saint David’s boys utilize technology not as an end unto itself, but as a tool to deepen their creativity, critical thinking, logical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Desmos is but one example of this educational philosophy in action. And - for a school that holds the arts and academics as two grounding pillars - it is a powerful one.

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David O'Halloran, Headmaster - Saint David's School, New York City

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