Cross Curricular Use of Technology for Solving Mathematical Problems: Exploring Angel Falls Interdisciplinary Plan

Abstract

This short practitioner report presents information for the planning, teaching and evaluation cycle of a cross curricular Computing, Geography and Mathematics lessons in a 5thgrade classroom. The study focused on both mathematical thinking and Geographical knowledge. The objective of the lesson was to teach children measurement and prediction skills through exploring the Angel Falls, located inside of the Canaima National Park in Venezuela, using the Google expedition application. For the purpose of this study, action research was chosen whereby the findings of this study were used to inform future planning and improve learning. The study found that the students were able to use their logical reasoning to predict the length of many objects including the Angel Falls. The project also found that providing children with real-life learning contexts motivated them to learn and made learning more meaningful. The children were able to transfer and apply their prediction skills during their coding sessions, which highlights the link between mathematical and computational thinking.