Third grade students in Aimee Volk’s class at Kreamer Elementary School donned construction hats and vests to participate in a math project funded by Donors Choose to measure taped hallway “construction zones.” The fun-filled activity was a culminating project to reinforce the students’ knowledge on how to calculate perimeter and area.

Ms. Volk mapped out 10 construction zones with varying design on the floor outside her classroom. Working in teams and using rulers and clipboards, the students first calculated the perimeter of each zone. The area of the construction sites was slightly more difficult to calculate, Ms. Volk said, because it involved double digit multiplication.

“This project helped the students relate to a real-life situation in which they applied their math skills,” she explained. “As construction managers, they had to analyze the design sites and determine the areas and perimeters.”

Open to every public school in America, Donors Choose is an organization that helps teachers fund projects. Founded by Charles Best in 2000, the Donors Choose website allows teachers to post project requests and for donors to choose the projects they want to support.