Numeracy in the Landscape
•The following pages outline some of the different ways that the
natural world can inspire Numeracy. Work by visiting school
groups and primary school teachers on training days at Chelsea
Physic Garden is also included.
• “Numeracy” refers to the proficiency with numbers and measures.
It involves gathering, interpreting and presenting data as well as
solving numerical ‘problems’.
•Even the smallest amount of green space can be useful for
interpreting the natural world.
• The first page shows an overview of this subject, the others aim to
expand upon it.
Michael Holland - Chelsea Physic Garden, U.K.
Scale &
Comparisons *
Other
Area
Sorting &
classification*
Measuring*
Time*
Numeracy
in the
Landscape
links
Counting*
Pattern, shape
and symmetry*
Here are some of the different strands of Numeracy.
Many of them have links to other curriculum areas
such as History, Geography, Art, Design and
Technology, Science and Literacy. Those marked *
are elaborated upon in the following pages.
Proportions:
Fractions,
percentages, ratios*
Scale & Comparison
Leaf areas: of
different species
Time scales
Life spans of different
plants and animals
The age of the Earth
Decay rates of different materials
Large
vs. Small
Class members
Comparison
Scale
&
Role play: imagine being
the size of an ant in a
grassland; or a tadpole in
a pond…
Looking at the ideas of scale and
comparison in the natural world can inspire
a sense of wonder about its vastness and
diversity and put us into perspective.
Weights
Differences / similarities
Seed comparisons: e.g.
Coco-de-mer (up to
22kg) and orchid seeds
(as little as .001g)
Comparative biomass of
different trophic levels
How many plant species
are native to one country
compared to the world?
Of 100 Ilex
leaves, what
fraction or %
have got 15
spikes?
What is the ratio
of leaves with 15
spikes to those
with 1 spike?
Looking at proportions in nature helps
us focus on division, unity,
comparisons, observations and different
ways of interpreting the same data.
What proportion
of seeds
germinated?
Proportions:fractions,
percentages,
ratios
How many
seedlings
survived?
Proportions of one
species to others
in a sample grassland, pond,
woodland
% of a leaf lost
to herbivory
What is the ratio of apples to
branches on a tree with 150
apples and 30 branches?
Make numbers out of
natural materials
Species
number in
a given
area/sample
The origins of number
systems and counting
Seed fall rates
Number of
stomata per
leaf
Counting
Garden visitors
This area of Numeracy is common
throughout, consequently there are
many examples of, and overlaps
with, counting. Estimates and
averaging are closely linked.
Number of
seeds in a
fruit
Number of
fruits or
leaves on a
plant
Number of legs on
animals collected
Number of plants
in a specified area
Number of
petals,
anthers…
Number sequences:
Symmetry and asymmetry:
e.g. Fibonacci series allowing plants to
efficiently use available
space (petal number, leaf
arrangements, seed
packing…)
leaves, faces, tree outlines, flowers.
Different types of symmetry.
Patterns,
shapes
and symmetry
Tessellation
Clearly demonstrating physical differences,
the variety of shapes and patterns the
landscape exhibits, inspires and enriches us.
Lengths: Paths,
Weights: People,
branches, leaves...
Buildings, parks, gardens,
windows, glass houses…
seeds, dry vs. fresh
weights,
Time
Areas & perimeters:
Measuring
Weather
data
Heights:
Buildings,
trees, people
Sizes of seeds
Creating suitable
units for measuring:
Measuring requires the use of
different units - linking to counting,
comparisons and the development
of spatial awareness
e.g. length of arm, pace,
hand span
Girths of trees: Link
to the age of a tree
(approx. 2.5cm/year)
Plant
fossils
Evolutionary
time
Astronomical
events
Geological
timescales
Seasons
TIME
Different
ways of
measuring
time
Make your
own sundial or
water clock
The concept of time can be useful in
illuminating many aspects of the natural
world. It naturally links to counting and
measuring and change.
Fall rates of
different seeds
Decay and
growth rates
Looking at historical World
events in the growth rings of
fallen trees.
Plants
Habitats,
ecosystems &
biomes
Materials
“Rubbish” bins:
classify and sortrecyclables, organic.
Family
Species
Seeds
Sorting & Classification
Tensile
strengths
of natural
materials
Here are some examples of how aspects of
the natural world can be sorted and
classified into different groups. Recognising
& identification are integral to this.
Dispersal
method
Shape
& size
Creating
identification
keys
Colours
Categorise plants
and objects by their
ethnobotanical uses