Crazy 8s: A Math Club Like No Other

Crazy 8s is a math club like no other. The club is a before-school option for JFK students and run by teachers Brittany Johnson and Michelle Riofrio. A plus for parents: busing is included.

The theme is 8s. So far, this season, they have played Crazy 8s where 8s are wild, created super cubes to create shape designs while listening to music, and today they are making origami stars–with 8 sides.

The inspiration for the club comes from Bedtime Math–a company that provides a curriculum and math materials and is intended to make math fun, accessible and non-competitive.

Johnson had success with the club in her former district and decided to bring it to JFK.

“It’s great because it’s hands-on math fun–kids realize that math can be fun and learn at the same time,” said Johnson

The group is seated on the floor of the JFK cafeteria collectively folding and creasing paper to make two halves which they neatly put together to make two-toned origami stars.

“The hardest part of making the star is the folding part,” said Aubrey Spedafino.

“It looks like a ninja star you can throw,” said Matthew Dnes.

Speaking of throwing, after discussing the shapes that make up the star–triangle, square, rectangle–they move on to actually throwing their stars and measuring the distance thrown in feet. Students break into groups with a measuring tape.

“Remember: the tape measure is ten feet which is 120 inches,” said Riofrio.

Students then estimated the number of feet once they measured the distance to where the star landed.

At the end, two students tied for farthest distance at thirty feet, and two students tied for shortest distance at eleven feet. All students got a fun lesson in eight-sided shapes!