![Working on a project, sophomore Skyler Hansen examines one of the walls. Hansen explained that Geometry and Construction is usually divided up between two periods. “You do an hour of either geometry or construction, depending on what the teachers want to do at the beginning. Then the next hour, you do whatever you didn’t do in the first hour,” Hansen said. “In geometry, you’ll learn a specific set of [information], and in construction, you use that after you learn the geometry.”](https://www.fsfreepressonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Roust_GeoinCon8_27_24-3-1200x800.jpg)
Imagine a class where math crosses with real world situations, not only solving for X, but creating it too. Requested by woodworking teacher Amanda Torbett and backed by math teacher Laura O’Neil, a class with a combination of geometry and construction has made its debut this year at Free State.
“It was Miss Torbetts [idea], although I had considered it in the past too, I think she just wanted to try something different to get kids more involved,” O’Neil said. “She was really excited when she learned about the class, and then I discovered she wanted to do it, and volunteered to be the math person to work with her.”
The class takes up two hours within the block schedule, making it around two hours. Senior and teacher aid Ali Hahn said that the class is built for students who would like to pursue physical careers in which math is used, or for others who struggle with math and need more direct learning.
“If a student would like to pursue a career in construction, [with]the math that goes into construction, this will give them a good example that they might see in the future,” Hahn said. “If you plan to be a homeowner, you might need to do construction work at your house, then you can look back and be like, ‘Hey I kind of remember, what I’m kind of doing here.’”
Sophomore Skyler Hansen shares that the hands-on approach makes learning math easier and more effective. He also praises both O’Neil and Torbett for their support, noting that they make the class enjoyable.
“It’s helping me learn math a lot easier than I would just by sitting in a classroom doing problems,” Hansen said. “The teachers are really nice. They’ll help you no matter what, and overall, it’s just a fun class.”
The class utilizes the shop for hands-on building activities, potentially enhancing the learning experience for students. Both Hahn and Hansen spoke highly of the class and the value of practical learning.
“Being a teacher aid, I don’t really have much to do in the class, but I’m very happy to see students get the opportunity to take a different approach to math … ” Hahn said. “As a hands-on learning type of person, this is a good thing and I’m very happy that they have two wonderful teachers to help them with whatever they need.”
