Define A Staircase

The first day of class the students arrived and were handed a yardstick. In pairs, they went out and measured real staircases. They weren’t lectured to or tipped off to what the project would entail. All they were told was “go out with your partner and document a staircase.” Some suggestions on the piece of paper they were given said to look at the rise and run of the steps, the number of steps, the width and size of the steps, and to think about mathematical ideas they can derive from looking at these steps. They photographed, drew, measured, and documented staircases. Upon returning to class they created these posters that explain the staircases that they found, what made them work, and what was interesting and appealing about them.
This exploration gave the students a view into the vernacular of what they would be doing for the rest of the semester. They were going to use staircases to meet their learning goals. These goals were to constructively use play, planning, physics, and teamwork to develop an understanding of the physical world.