Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School's Math Trail event was organized by Mrs. Sana Bathiche, Mr. Eric Guillemette, and Mrs. Caroline Pham. More than 80 Grade 9 and Grade 10 Pre-AP (Advanced Placement) Mathematics students participated in this enrichment opportunity, designed to help students recognize and model mathematical relationships in the world around them.
The day began with students travelling on the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT, followed by a subway ride downtown. Along the way, students used their smartphones to collect data and calculate average speed, connecting their travel experience directly to rates, measurement, and real-world applications of mathematics.
Our 5 km Math Trail included stops at Union Station, Front Street, Scotiabank Arena and Jurassic Park, the Harbourfront area near the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, and finally the PATH, where we escaped the rain and had lunch at the RBC WaterPark Place food court.
Throughout the trip, students used a variety of tools to collect measurements, data, photos, and videos. They used smartphones for timing, recording, and capturing images; IKEA metre tapes to measure accessible objects and surfaces; and indirect measurement strategies to estimate larger structures. For example, students measured smaller brick tiles and used proportional reasoning to estimate larger surfaces that were difficult to reach, such as the giant window at Union Station.
The Grade 10 students also constructed makeshift clinometers using protractors, string, and paperclips. They used these tools to measure angles of elevation and apply primary trigonometric ratios to estimate the heights of tall structures in the downtown core.
Overall, the Math Trail gave students an opportunity to experience mathematics as something active, visible, and connected to the city around them. It was a meaningful enrichment experience that encouraged curiosity, collaboration, problem-solving, and real-world mathematical thinking.
