Introduction:
There are various ways to integrate the mathematics curriculum into an interdisciplinary unit which focuses on "Journeys." There are many journeys that we take as individuals throughout life and I thought concentrating on the theoretical piece would be more applicable to mathematics.

The Beginning - Planning the Trip:

—This unit will focus on the following Learning Standard—

• 8.N.1. Compare, order, estimate, and translate among integers, fractions and mixed numbers, decimals and percents.
  

I will start a unit at the beginning of the year prior to all of the other classroom teachers which will focus on the planning and budgeting of the trip. This will be introduced with a sample lesson in which the students will have to prepare a "pretend" weekend getaway to a place of their choosing. There will be certain objectives that will assist them in the planning of the mountain trip in the following month, they are:

• Students will find information about lodging, dining, and transportation in a particular city.
• Students will plan the weekend getaway with a friend.
• Students will calculate how much the weekend will cost, and will need to keep it within their budget.
• Students will need to find ways to generate revenue within the school and community.

The students will have three to four days to plan this weekend getaway and will present their findings on the fifth day to the class. This will give the students a chance to observe what other students have done and compare and contrast to see what works more effectively.

After this they will have practice doing this type of thing, so I will now introduce the field trip we will be taking as en entire eighth grade class. It will be their job to gather the money and resources, as well as to plan the trip. Much needed materials will be supplied to the students, some things they will have to do on their own. They will work in groups of eight and present their strategy findings once a week, on every Friday. This way they will be able to discuss the best approach.

Since there are approximately 100 students, I will break the different topics up by class. Each class has 25 students, so the following arrangement will be put into place.

• There will be one class that will focus on transportation, and extra expenses and supplies.
• There will be another class that will focus on lodging and nutrition.
• There will be two classes that will focus on gathering money for the field trip through fundraisers within the school and community.

In the Middle - Measuring and Converting:

—This unit will focus on the following Learning Standards—

• Exploratory Concepts and Skills: Select and apply techniques and tools to accurately find length, area, volume, and angle measures to appropriate levels of precision.
• 8.M.2. Given the formulas, convert from one system of measurement to another.

This unit will begin by looking at various ways to find length, area, volume, and angle measurement. We will work with introductory exercises within the classroom as practice and then move onto real life situations that can take place during the mathematics and physical education classes as a joint activity during the various walking and hiking trips we will be taking.

Each type of measurement will be worked with for approximately two weeks or until the students have completely mastered the skill.

• Within the length section of the unit we will measure a variety of things from small objects to long walks. Once the students become comfortable with one system of measurement, such as meters, they will need to learn how to convert to other systems of measurement, such as inches, feet, miles, etc.
• Within the area section of the unit we will start by finding the area of small objects around the classroom using the given formulas. This will obviously follow the length section because they will have the capability to measure all distances. We will get to the point of finding the area of land traveled on the walks we take during physical education classes.
• During the volume unit we will look at the specific algorithms given and apply them to things within the classroom and around the community. This part of the unit will not be as heavily focused on because it does not apply as much to the field trip that we will be taking.
• Throughout the angle measurement part of the unit we will start by looking at small structures within the classroom and I will ask the students to find the angles using a variety of tools such as a protractor. Once the students become comfortable with this, they will need to take these tools on their walks and measure the angles of hills, rocks, mountains, etc. This will prepare them for finding the angle of the mountain they will be hiking in the following month.

The Trip — Applying the Knowledge:

Once the students are on this field trip they will need to apply all prior knowledge obtained during the previous months.

To begin with, they will have to write up a detailed plan which will be published in the school newspaper demonstrating how they put this project together. Each of the four classes will need to work together on this.

During the trip the students will be asked to display their knowledge of measurement by finding the length of each hike traveled, the area trekked, the volume of the mountain, and the angle hiked at several times during the day. Once we arrive back at school we will discuss each of these things and the students will need to convert these measurements and write up a report focusing on the mountain itself and the hike they performed.

Measuring Distance Lesson Plan

Brief Description of Group to be Taught:

• Grade: 8th
• Number of Students: 25 per class/4 classes
• Ability level: Average
• Children on IEPs: N/A

Relationship of this Lesson to the Unit:
This lesson will be at the beginning of the measurement unit, focusing specifically on length. The students will have had at least one week of measuring the length of small materials within the classroom and short distances around the school. This will be the first time that the students will measure long distances that the students will be traveling in gym class.

The students will have also had experience converting one system of measurement to another. They will be expected to do this in the classroom as part of this lesson.

Massachusetts Frameworks Strand and Learning Standard:

• Exploratory Concepts and Skills: Select and apply techniques and tools to accurately find length, area, volume, and angle measures to appropriate levels of precision.
• 8.M.2. Given the formulas, convert from one system of measurement to another.

Objectives:

Concepts:
The concept of length will be addressed in a real world situation through the use of physical activity.

Processes:
The students, through observations, will identify the length of distance walked in a physical education class. They will use this length to convert to other systems of measurement.

Habit of Mind:
The student will, as a habit without prompting, will identify length to real world situations within the two systems of measurement.

Classroom Social Context:
The students will be walking as a class to a nearby location and they will be shown how to track distance (length). Once the students arrive back at class they will be working in groups of three to convert the measurements they found to other forms of measurement.

Session Length:
This lesson will run for 2 days, 50 minutes every day. The first class will take place during gym class and the second class will take place during the mathematics block.

Materials Needed:

• Pedometers, measuring wheel, or GPS system to measure distance for each student. · Notes with information on how to convert between the Metric and English Systems of Measurement. · White lined paper to write conversions for each student · Pencil for each student