Materiality, Math, and Design: Middle School Students Prototyping Water Conservation Solutions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Unpacking the Teaching and Learning of Middle School Mathematics

Abstract

We investigate how middle school students engage in mathematical modeling through an embodied cognition approach. Students designed a prototype of a water conservation system for their community using recycled 3D objects in a design challenge. Using Peppler et al.’s (2025) materialized action framework, we ask: What design decisions did students make while building their prototypes? What influenced those design decisions? What mathematical thinking emerged through students’ design work and interactions with materials? We found that working with everyday materials prompted students’ 3D visualization. We show three cases, where students reasoned with 3D and identified congruent parts in the models. The study has implications for understanding how students’ interactions with the materials can promote 3D visualization and reasoning.

Authors

• Sourabh Garg, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

• Gloriana Gonzalez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Michelle Heredia, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign