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Practices for
Mathematics and
Science Integration
Integrate mathematics and science into curriculum through practices that both disciplines share.
Zandra de Araujo, Deborah Hanuscin, and Samuel Otten
Integrating mathematics and science in the classroom
does not necessarily have to occur through the content
that is taught. Teachers can integrate these subjects by
promoting practices that are shared by both disciplines.
In the following vignette of a third-grade class, we see
how important discipline practices arise through class-
room interactions.
USING A MATHEMATICS TASK TO PREPARE
FOR A SCIENCE PROJECT
Ms. Smith’s class was working on measurement in
mathematics; the students were also about to begin
an experiment growing plants as part of an upcoming
science unit. In anticipation of the science unit, she
posed the following problem to her students during
mathematics time.
Mandy measured the size of a plant with paper
clips and found that the plant was 20 paper clips.
Claudio measured the same plant as Mandy and
found that the size of the plant was 15 paper clips.
The teacher came by and stated that both of their
answers were correct. How could this be?
Students were given some time to plan and discuss
the situation with partners. Then the students were put
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into small groups, given various (different sizes and
colors) paper clips, and asked to decide on possible
reasons for how the difference in measurement could
have happened. Students were told they would be asked
to communicate their findings. The students found a
number of creative ways to document their observa-
tions: Some students glued paper clips to paper as a
visual, while some others created drawings.
After students explored in groups, Ms. Smith called
them together to communicate their findings with the
class. The first group Ms. Smith called on explained
that Mandy and Claudio could have arrived at differ-
ent answers by measuring different parts of the plant.
Group members showed the class their drawings of
a plant to which they had taped paper clips, showing
that it took a different number of paper clips to mea-
sure the height of the plant versus the width.
Ms. Smith encouraged other students to ask clarifying
questions and to decide whether they were convinced
by their classmates’ evidence.
This sharing cycle continued as new groups of stu-
dents presented the evidence from their investigations
and then shared their findings with the class. Ms. Smith
used the discussion to help students interpret and
communicate their findings. In particular, students
stated whether and why each piece of evidence
was convincing. In instances where unconvincing
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evidence was presented, such as the idea that the stu-

dents measured different plants, the class discussed
what made this unconvincing (it runs counter to the
given scenario). Following this discussion, each stu- By referring to the
dent was asked to decide which argument they found
most convincing and to write a letter to Mandy and mathematics lesson
Claudio explaining how they could take measure-
ments that would enable them to compare their data
on measurement, she
across several different plants. In doing so, Ms. Smith
could help students
laid the groundwork for students’ planning of their
science investigations for plant growth. By referring include mathematical
to the mathematics lesson on measurement, she could
help students include mathematical thinking in the thinking in the design
design of their procedures for data collection as well
as support their engagement in scientific argumenta- of their procedures
tion. Ms. Smith’s lesson illustrates an opportunity for
integrating science and mathematics in the elemen-
for data collection as
tary grades. well as support their
engagement in scientific
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO INTEGRATE
MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE? argumentation.
During mathematics and science integration, teachers
must consider both the substance of the integration and
the size of the curriculum component through which
the integration occurs (de Araujo et al. 2013). Substance
refers to what is being integrated. Mathematics and
Q1
science integration often refers to integrating con- science integration through their discipline practices,
tent; however, in the above example, Ms. Smith elic- which is highly adaptable and can be enacted at all
ited norms (e.g., explaining the details of a process; curriculum scales. It is rooted in the Standards for
asking questions to become convinced) that are com- Mathematical Practice (SMP) from the Common Core
mon to both science and mathematics practice while State Standards (CCSS; NGA Center and CCSSO 2010)
supporting students in communicating their think- and the Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
ing with evidence. In terms of the size of curriculum, from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead
teachers can integrate mathematics and science con- States 2013), shown in table 1.
tent throughout an entire course, for a particular cur- If you look across these lists, some connections
riculum unit, or during a single lesson as Ms. Smith are obvious. For example, both sets have a focus
did. In this article, we highlight mathematics and on modeling (SMP 4 and SEP 2), and constructing

Zandra de Araujo, dearaujoz@missouri.edu, is an associate professor in mathematics education at the University

of Missouri in Columbia. Her research examines teachers’ use of curriculum, particularly with English learners.

Deborah Hanuscin, Debi.Hanuscin@wwu.edu, is an associate professor in elementary and science education at

Western Washington University in Bellingham. She is a scholar in the field of science education, and her work
focuses on teacher education and professional development.

Samuel Otten, ottensa@missouri.edu, is an associate professor in mathematics education at the University of

Missouri in Columbia. His research centers on students’ participation in mathematical practices at the secondary
level, with a focus on classroom discourse and instructional technology.
doi:10.5951/MTLT.2019.0071

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Table 1 Discipline Practices from CCSS and NGSS

Standards for Mathematical Practice Science and Engineering Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere 1. Asking questions (for science) and defining
in solving them. problems (for engineering)

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 2. Developing and using models

3. Construct viable arguments and critique 3. Planning and carrying out investigations
the reasoning of others.

4. Model with mathematics. 4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

6. Attend to precision. 6. Constructing explanations (for science)

and designing solutions (for engineering)

7. Look for and make use of structure. 7. Engaging in argument from evidence

8. Look for and express regularity in 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and

repeated reasoning. communicating information

explanations (SEP 6) and engaging in argument from
evidence (SEP 7) parallel the mathematical practice
of constructing viable arguments and critiquing the
reasoning of others (SMP 3). Clustering the discipline
Video 1  alking about Integrating
T
Mathematics and Science
practices on the basis of their connections can be a
helpful starting point (see table 2). In this way, mathe-
matics and science integration can occur when teach-
ers consistently provide opportunities for students to
engage in these practices while making explicit that
they are doing so. In the following section, we pro-
vide a snapshot to illustrate how this form of math-
ematics and science integration might occur in the
classroom. We also invite you to watch the supple-
mental online video featuring Tracy Hager, a third-
grade teacher at Shephard Boulevard Elementary
School in Columbia, Missouri. In the video, Tracy, a
National Board Certified teacher and a Presidential
Awardee for Excellence in K–6 Science Teaching,
shares her thoughts on this article and why and how
she would integrate mathematics and science in her
classroom through the discipline practices.

SNAPSHOT OF PRACTICE
In the example that follows, students use mathematical
Watch the full video online. thinking to make sense of their data as they carry out a
science investigation.

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Table 2 Themes That Connect Discipline Practices

Theme SMP SEP

PLAN: Making Sense of Problems 1. M

 ake sense of problems and 1. Asking questions (for science) and
and Planning a Strategy persevere in solving them. defining problems (for engineering)
3. Planning and carrying out
investigations

EXPLORE: Carrying out 2. R

 eason abstractly and 2. Developing and using models
investigations and engaging quantitatively. 3. Planning and carrying out
in modeling 4. M
 odel with mathematics. investigations
5. U
 se appropriate tools 5. Using mathematics and
strategically. computational thinking

INTERPRET: Interpreting findings 6. Attend to precision. 4. Analyzing and interpreting data

and revising processes 7. L
 ook for and make use of 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and
structure. communicating information
8. L
 ook for and express regularity
in repeated reasoning.

COMMUNICATE: Pressing for 3. C

 onstruct viable arguments 6. Constructing explanations (for science)
evidence, justification/evidence, and critique the reasoning of and designing solutions (for engineering)
and clear communication others. 7. Engaging in argument
from evidence

Birds and Worms
A kindergarten teacher engaged her students in a simu-
lation known as Birds and Worms in which students role-
play birds searching for worms (colored pipe cleaners)
in outdoor areas. By comparing the number of different
colored pipe cleaners, students should be able to infer the
importance of coloration in hiding prey from predators.
At the end of the activity, students had gathered many
pipe cleaners—but how many of each color? The teacher
was confident that students could sort by color but knew
that counting so many pipe cleaners might pose difficulty
because the students had yet to count objects by 10s.
Back in the classroom, the teacher showed students
a video in which she made bundles of 10 with twisty ties
so the students could see that 10 pipe cleaners made a
bundle. After the students watched the video, she dis-
cussed it with them to see what they noticed. She then
had them think about how they could count the pipe
cleaners they had collected outside. She encouraged
them to use any strategies they wished and to agree
how to proceed in their groups.
The students used a variety of tools, including the
twisty ties and hundred charts as they explored the
problem. Some groups chose to keep count as they
made each bundle while others waited to count the
total until all bundles were made. The teacher encour-
aged students to look for patterns and use the tools
they had access to as they proceeded. Following this,
the teacher held a math congress/science conference
to allow students to communicate their thinking about
both how they counted and what they noticed about the
count of different colored pipe cleaners.
This activity is from Project Learning Tree
(http://www.plt.org/family-activity/birds-and-worms).
Integrating mathematics and science through dis-
cipline practices involves attending to students’ abil-
ities to engage in the SMPs and SEPs and providing
explicit support to develop those practices. In this
example, the teacher purposefully designed the lesson
to draw out the discipline practices. Mathematically,
the students had to plan, explore, interpret, and com-
municate how they counted the worms. Scientifically,
the students had to interpret and communicate their
findings regarding how the color of worms might
relate to whether they are eaten. The students were
not merely counting for the sake of developing

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strategies for counting; they were counting to assist
themselves in making comparisons within the data
they had gathered in their science activity.
CONCLUSION
Integration through discipline practices aligns well
with effective instructional practices of both mathe-
matics and science (e.g., Banilower et al. 2010; NCTM
2014). Whereas an emphasis on knowledge reinforces
the view that mathematics and science are very differ-
ent subjects, switching the emphasis to their practices
can highlight that they have a great deal in common.
Integrating through discipline practices also requires
teachers to consider the purpose for engaging in the
practices. We suggest providing many opportunities
for students to engage in these practices and to make
them explicit to students when they occur, whether
that be in a course, in a unit, or moment-to-moment
in a lesson. _

REFERENCES
Banilower, Eric, Kim Cohen, Joan Pasley, and Iris Weiss. 2010. “Effective Science Instruction: What Does Research Tell Us?”
Center on Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1086/461334.
de Araujo, Zandra, Erik Jacobson, Laura Singletary, Patricia Wilson, Laura Lowe, and Anne Marie Marshall. 2013. “Teachers’
Conceptions of Integrated Mathematics Curricula.” School Science and Mathematics 113, no. 6 (October): 285–96.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). 2014. Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. Reston,
VA: NCTM.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
2010. Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Washington, DC: http://www.corestandards.org.
NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Project Learning Tree. n.d. “Family Activity: Birds and Worms.” https://www.plt.org/family-activity/birds-and-worms/.

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