Learning Context
	The purpose, objective, or focus of the learning experience:

My goals for this project were to make mathematics "real" to my second grade students and to make connections to other subject areas. I decided to have the students do research in the community to collect information they would need for specific tasks. I organized a field trip to St. Mary's Church, a Cathedral with great history and art, that is across the street from the school.

Realizing that it is important for students to find math in their neighborhoods, this lesson plan took place in and around a nearby church. It can take place in any local historical building or even the school building where your students attend. Modify the groups and problems to solve as needed.

This project aligns with the following performance indicators of the NYS Learning Standards

English Language Arts standards (Elementary)
Standard One:
  Language for Information and Understanding

Listening and Reading

• Gather and interpret information from children's reference books, etc.

Speaking and Writing

• Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms, such as brief reports, stories, posters, and charts.
  

Mathematics Science and Technology Standards
Standard Two:
Information Systems

• Access needed information from printed media, electronic data bases, and community resources

Standard Three:
Mathematics (Elementary)

Mathematical Reasoning

• Use models, facts, and relationships to draw conclusions about mathematics and explain their thinking.
  
• Justify their answers and solution processes.
  
• Use logical reasoning to reach simple conclusions.
  

Number and Numeration

• Use whole numbers and fractions to identify locations, quantify groups of objects,and measure distances.
• Recognize the order of whole numbers and commonly used fractions and decimals.
  

Operations

• Add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers.
• Develop strategies for selecting the appropriate computational and operational method in problem solving situations.
  

Modeling/Multiple Representation

• Construct tables, charts and graphs to display and analyze real-world data.
• Use physical materials, pictures, and diagrams to explain mathematical ideas and processes and to demonstrate geometric concepts.
  

Measurement

• Estimate and find measures such as length and perimeter using both nonstandard and standard units.

Uncertainty

• Make estimates to compare actual results of both formal and informal measurement.
• Determine the reasonableness of results.

Patterns/Functions

• Explore and develop relationships among two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes.
• Discover patterns in art.