For Grade 8 Math, the  BC Curriculum is focused on topics such as volume and surface area, central tendencies, averages and discrete linear relations. One of the big ideas students must wrap their heads around is how they can use averages to compare, interpret and make sense of large data sets.

Over time, Morven math teachers have found that many Grade 8 students are uncomfortable with the concept of taking a small sample and using it to confidently estimate volume for a much larger area. To help connect these ideas to the real world, this past spring, Mathematics 8 students were tasked with estimating the number of trees in the nearby Capilano River Regional Park.

Breaking into work groups, students started out by using a map of the park to determine the size of the area on the scaled map. Armed with an outline of the park map, students were required to create a methodology for how to break down the area into measurable units and use scale conversion to determine the park’s actual area. Once they had calculated the area of the park, students then went out into the forest to take samples of forest density. This required roping off carefully measured areas of the forest to count the trees.

Most groups used more than one sample area to get a better average sample size. Students then created presentations to communicate and explain their findings, including reflections on potential improvements that might be used to make their estimates more accurate.



“Estimating reasonably is a big one,” said Gr. 8 Math teacher Jason Lee. “It’s intellectually challenging to take a small map and use it to estimate a large area. How can you use 3 centimetres on a map to represent 300 metres? It was great to see them approach this real-world problem with such curiosity and thoughtfulness.”