Bringing Mathematics to Life: The CREW Mathematics Book

For many teenagers, mathematics can be one of the most challenging school subjects. The teachers involved in the CREW project wanted to change this perception and find creative ways to make mathematics more appealing, meaningful, and connected to students’ everyday lives. Their joint effort resulted in an original mathematics book created through international cooperation.

The book offers a collection of activities and resources that can be used in regular mathematics lessons, extracurricular activities, or for independent learning. It is organised into six engaging themes: Ecology, Agriculture, Fishing and Navigation, Food, Fun, and Logical Thinking.

Each chapter includes three practical experiments, presenting the process, observations, results, and conclusions. These activities are complemented by mathematics problems inspired by the same topics. An answer key is also provided, allowing both teachers and students to use the materials easily and independently.

The creation of the book was itself a valuable learning experience. Students and teachers from all six partner countries worked together throughout the process. Students formed national teams and participated in mathematics workshops, where they explored possible topics, discussed different approaches, decided which problems to address, divided responsibilities, and prepared preliminary worksheets and leaflets. These materials later contributed to the development of the final book.

One of the main principles behind the project was simple but powerful: mathematics can be found everywhere in everyday life. Instead of presenting mathematics only as abstract formulas and calculations, the project transformed real-life situations into mathematical challenges. The experiments demonstrated how mathematics can be used to understand environmental issues, make better decisions, manage money, calculate quantities, and even recognise situations in which people might be misled or overcharged.

The collaborative nature of the project was equally important. Working on mathematics outside the traditional classroom created a relaxed and supportive atmosphere in which students did not feel the usual pressure of tests, grades, or being judged for making mistakes. This gave many students the confidence to participate, share their ideas, and discover abilities they might not have demonstrated in a conventional lesson.

The results have been encouraging. Feedback collected through this year’s survey shows that both students and educators have noticed a positive change in students’ interest and motivation towards mathematics. The project has demonstrated that when mathematics is connected to real life and approached creatively, students can see its value and enjoy engaging with it. We hope that this increased motivation will eventually lead to stronger academic achievement as well.

The book has already begun to make an impact beyond the students who helped create it. During the mobility in Poland, several games developed by the Czech team were used with participating students. This experience sparked the curiosity of students who had not been directly involved in the book’s preparation and encouraged them to discover the other activities included in the collection.

Although the book was completed and printed only recently, it has already received encouraging feedback from partners across all the project countries. It is a wonderful example of how international cooperation can turn a shared educational challenge into a creative and useful resource.

Congratulations to all the students, teachers, and editorial teams who contributed to this achievement, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped take mathematics beyond the classroom and promote it across Europe!