Sixth-grade students at Penn Middle School recently took part in a creative, hands-on learning experience that combined problem-solving and teamwork during math classes.
Under the direction of teachers Sabrina Oberkofler, Brandi Supernovich, and Lea Wentroble, students were divided into teams and challenged to complete a series of military-themed missions.
Each mission focused on a different branch of the military and presented unique mathematical challenges:
- Mission One (Army): Hurricane Relief - Students solved problems related to Hurricane Michael and packaged supply boxes based on their answers.
- Mission Two (Marines): Bootcamp - Teams completed a series of math drills and physical challenges to test their accuracy and endurance.
- Mission Three (Air Force): Operation Christmas Drop - A scavenger hunt around the school led students to find “dropped packages” by solving clues and calculations.
- Mission Four (Navy): Shipwrecked - The classic game of Battleship was reimagined to help students solve problems and “save” sinking ships.
- Mission Five (Coast Guard): Oil Spill - Students simulated an oil spill and used logic puzzles to find the most effective way to contain and clean it.
The interactive missions showed students how math skills can be applied to a variety of real-life scenarios.
Angelina Sheffo crawls through a fort to find math problems
Delilah Montenary, Troy Yeckel, and Jordan McCall complete their Marine exercises
Adalina Ament and Macie Seneca complete their Navy mission while playing a round of Battleship
Staff member Miss Victoria Anderson, who has served in the Army, assists Robbie Kane, Angelina Sheffo, Adalyn Lawther, Elijah Jarboe, and Evan Race with the scavenger hunt
Cole Telenko, Matthew Evangeliste, Wyatt Pangrazzi, & Bennett Keller work together on a mission
Kendall Scavincky, Capriana Caruso, Alissa McCort, Chase Hileman, and Jude Atchison unscramble clues to find their way around the school, traveling to different package stations and answering questions for the Air Force mission, Operation Christmas Drop