Ponds and maths

There are many ways that ponds can be used for simple and more complicated maths.

Activities

1. Measuring a pond

Using a tape measure or a piece of string, the length and width of the pond can be measured in various places. Then a plan can be drawn of the pond, including the banks, plants and various zones.

You could also measure the heights of plants and see how these change as you move away from the water's edge.

2. Making a simple histogram

The numbers of animals found whilst pond-dipping (or collected in other ways) can be totalled and plotted on a simple histogram. If the children are keeping pond diaries, a histogram can also be drawn for each season or at different stages during the creation of a pond. To keep things simple, broad categories of minibeasts could be used, e.g. frog and newt tadpoles, pond snails, water bugs and beetles, crawling insect larvae, worms, freshwater shrimps.

3. Using a computer

How about using a computer to store and retrieve data collected from the pond, or to enter details of individual minibeasts or plants, real or imaginary? Use spreadsheet or graph IT computer programmes. There is also scope for computer modelling work. You should also explore the Internet - the Cornwall's Wealth of Wildlife site is a good starting point: http://www.cornwallwow.org.uk/

Pond Pack Introduction Why study ponds? Pond-dipping Safety for teachers Safety for kids Animal variety Moving and breathing Cycles of life Webs of life Plant life Maths English Geography History Art and design Make a pond Plant identification Animal identification Activity sheets Bug dial Where to go Acknowledgements EDUCATION NATURE SEARCH . . . . . . . . .