The students were broken into small groups to measure the length and width of a given area.  The entire hallway was taped off into various rectangles.  Students measured doorways, large areas, and platforms leading to the stairwell.  Each group was then in charge of calculating the area of their small portion of the hallway.  They were also asked to make a drawing to scale on graph paper of their section of hallway.  Once the groups had accomplished that, the class came back together to share their results.   They then pieced the maps together to create one large replica of the hallway, labeled each measurement and added the total area.  Since the students measured to the nearest inch, the results were an estimated rather than actual measurement.

As an additional preparation for the Math Extended Response portion of the ISAT the students then worked together as a class to complete a What/Why chart explaining what they did, and why they used those strategies to solve this particular problem.  Finally, the students invited their principal, Mr. Gould, in for a presentation of their results.  Each group shared their portion of the map, and then explained the What/Why chart.  Mr. Gould then challenged the class to calculate the perimeter of the hallway as well using the measurements they had already taken, so the maintenance staff would know how much trim to purchase for the project.  The students were eager to take on the challenge.

In the end, the students learned how to work together in small groups and as a team to achieve a task necessary for a real-world math problem that would help their school.

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