Math Skills and Written Expression
Strategy
Strategy: The Math Poem
Appropriate Grade Level: High School
Procedures/Steps:
By combining math terms and poetry writing, students can gain a new understanding of
and appreciation for both topics.
1. Provide a list of math terms from which students may select a minimum number
for their individual poems.
2. Differentiate by offering less advanced terms and poetry requirements to students
at lower ability levels.
3. Students must write a poem about something other than math.
4. Give students several days to write first draft.
5. Have students revise their poems, on later revisions allow students to be more
flexible with the number and form of math terms used.
Comments and/or tips:
 Give students the opportunity to help form the list of words to be used.
 If the project is successful, expand project to allow students to use any word
form of a particular math term.
Source:
Keller, R., & Davidson, D. (2001). The math poem: Incorporating mathematical terms in
poetry. Mathematics Teacher, 94, 342 – 347.