The article “Excursions: Activities That Foster Mathematical Belonging” explains how creating a sense of belonging in mathematics can increase students’ engagement and confidence. When students feel that their ideas, experiences, and ways of learning are valued, they are more likely to connect with the mathematics they are learning and see themselves as capable mathematical thinkers. This sense of belonging helps bridge the gap many students feel between the mathematics used in everyday life and the mathematics taught in school.

To support this goal, the Forum for Equity in Elementary Mathematics at TERC developed Excursions, a set of free activity sequences for K–5 classrooms. These activities connect grade-level math concepts with real-world topics such as food, quilts, languages, temperature, or city design. Students generate questions, learn about how people from diverse cultures have used mathematics, and reflect on their own experiences.

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