An alarming 82% of high school students fear Class 7 to Class 10 mathematics. This disconnect between students and the subject largely stems from conventional teaching methods. In 8th grade, some of the common topics covered include rational numbers, linear equations, geometry, data handling, square and square roots, cubes and cube roots.

Many of your students might find some of these topics difficult to understand - it is advisable to break these subjects down for them through interactive classes that also feel a bit fun. You can make math more relatable by assigning unique projects that you can evaluate based on criteria like application of concepts, correctness of equations used and final answers. Here are five ideas to get you started -

1. Play Detective To Visualise Solid Shapes 

Ask students to observe their immediate vicinity and list down six objects they see (i.e. an eraser, water bottle, table, blackboard). Then, have them enter the corresponding shapes for each object (erasers could be cuboid, water bottles could be cylinders). You can also make this an outdoor activity by taking your students to the school playground or on a field trip. Provide an incentive by offering a reward to the person who identifies the most number of correct objects . 

2. Roll The Dice For Probability 

Distribute one dice per student. Ask them to choose a number between one and six and write it down at the top of their notebook. Then ask them to divide the rest of the page into a table, where the column represents the serial number, and the row,  the number on the dice. Ask your students to roll the dice six times and fill the table accordingly. Once completed, the student must calculate the probability of the number they initially chose using the right equation and note the answer. 

3. Mapping Your Pet’s Secret Life With a Pie Chart 

You can assign this projectas homework. Ask your students to record their pet’s daily activities on a sheet of paper, including feeding time and naps. They also need to track the approximate number of hours each activity takes. 

Once completed, have the students draw a pie chart and divide it into 24 parts. Keeping the daily activity list side-by-side, ask them to colour the number of hours corresponding to each activity. For example, if their pet naps eight hours a day, they’ll colour eight parts of the circle. Once done, they have a pie chart that represents their pet’s daily activities. If some students do not have a pet, ask them to follow the same steps to map their own daily activities or that of someone in their family.

4. Build a Castle To Understand Surfaces Areas

Through this project, your student will understand how to calculate surface areas as they build a 3D model. Ask them to build a castle and maintain a note of the various shapes used. Give them ten minutes to calculate the corresponding Total Surface Area (TSA) or Curved Surface Area (CSA) of each shape they used in the project. Your students can use a cuboid box as the base, a cylindrical roll as the tower and a cone as its roof. Finally, they can paint and decorate as they wish. 

5. Mind Your Money With Data Handling 

This project can be done in groups to understand data handling and representation using bar graphs. Ask each student to note their family's daily expenses over two weeks. They should also jot down a ballpark amount for savings. Afterwards, they will categorise expenses under food, games, transport or any other relevant category. Finally, tell each student to visually represent the expenditures with bar graphs. Each group will then present their graphs and identify the category which saw highest expenditure, along with tips to bring costs down.

Today’s generation demands hands-on learning, and mathematics is no exception. Projects focused on improving a student’s thinking abilities and logical skills are a must. The activities discussed in this article provide a great starting point to think of your own project ideas, too. Good luck!