Community Math Project:

The Griffith Elementary School Playground

Amy Johnson and Sabrina Dickson

Description of Module:
The second to fourth grade playground at
Griffith Elementary School in Sequatchie
County has been in place for several
decades. While not the same as when it
was originally constructed, many of the
original pieces of equipment remain. This
activity will take students outside the
classroom and encourage them to see the
shapes that surround them in an
environment that is very familiar to them.
Not only that, but it associates the math
with an environment that they already
associate with play. Location: Behind
Griffith Elementary School, directly off
Jones Drive, which is located off Hwy 8 in
Dunlap, TN.

Standards Met:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.3
Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real world and mathematical
problems. For example, find the width of a rectangular room given the area of the
flooring and the length, by viewing the area formula as a multiplication equation with an
unknown factor.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.C.6
Measure angles in whole-number degrees using a protractor. Sketch angles of specified
measure.

Standards Documents:
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2015). Grade 4 >> Measurement and Data.
Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/4/MD/

Problems:
Note: For all measurements below: round up or down to the nearest inch or foot,
depending on which is necessary.

1. What is the angle of the

small, straight metal slide?
Is this angle consistent as
you continue down the
slide?
2. How many right triangles
can you find in the big jungle
gym?
3. What is the perimeter and
area of the hopscotch
board?
4. What is the length of the
straight set of monkey bars?
5. Now, what is the distance
between each monkey bar,
assuming they are all the
same distance apart?
6. Now, what is the area and
perimeter of the rectangle
created by the two monkey
bars and the wooden sides?
7. What is the area of one step
on the red, plastic slide?
8. Including the first vertical
step (the one that is almost
covered by wood chips),
what is the area of the
combined steps?

Solutions:
1. The angle measurement between the slide and the ground can be measured by
creating an imaginary line perpendicular to the ground that intersects with the slide.
The angle that the slide descends at is 70 degrees. Yes, it is consistent throughout
the descent.
2. Using a protractor, the students will count 128 right angles on the jungle gym.
3. The hopscotch board measures 12 ft tall by 4 ft across. This means that the
perimeter is 12ft + 12ft + 4ft + 4ft = 32 ft. The area is 12 ft x 4 ft = 48 square ft.
4. The monkey bars are 91 inches long.
5. There are approximately 10 inches between each monkey bar.
6. The monkey bars create a rectangle naturally. The width of this reactance is 9
inches, and the height would be 10 inches, or the distance between two bars.
Therefore, the perimeter would be 9in + 9in + 10in + 10in = 38 in. The area would be
9in x 10in = 90 square in.
7. Each step on the plastic slide measures a width of 23in and a height of 8in. So, the
area would be 23in x 8in = 184 square in.
8. Since there are 11 steps on the slide, the combined total area would be
184 square in x 11sqaure in = 2024 square in

Additional Links:
Information about Griffith Elementary:
http://www.sequatchieschools.net/news.cfm?school=650&master=175671&located=1&school
=650
https://k12.niche.com/griffith-elementary-school-dunlap-tn/
Other activities dealing with rectangle and angle measurement:
Interactive perimeter and area practice: http://www.mathplayground.com/area_perimeter.html
A variety of perimeter and area games: http://mathszone.co.uk/measuring/area-and-perimeter/
Space Angles: http://www.xpmath.com/forums/arcade.php?do=play&gameid=75