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Less is More -- Math Professional Learning Series: Implementation (Part 1 of 4)

Christiona Cejda, Kelsey Willems | Published: August 12th, 2026 by K20 Center

Summary

This professional learning session is the first in a four-part series. In this session, participants explore the connection between physical movement activities and mathematical proficiency. Educators engage in a collaborative “Commit and Toss” problem solving activity. Then in small groups, participants adapt movement-based strategies for various math disciplines (algebra, geometry, and statistics). Finally, participants plan a math lesson integrating a movement strategy from a K20 collection for future use.

Essential Question

How can movement be intentionally incorporated into math lessons to deepen students' understanding, engagement, and problem-solving skills?

Learning Objectives

  • Participants explore K20 LEARN website resources to identify math physical movement strategies.

  • Participants analyze a K20 math physical movement strategy.

  • Participants synthesize how to adapt movement-based learning for specific domains of math. 

Snapshot

Engage 

Participants brainstorm what active engagement and motivation looks like, sounds like, and feels like in a math classroom. 

Explore

Participants explore the K20 lesson “Are You Smarter Than a Calculator?” They will use the Commit and Toss strategy to analyze how movement benefits students' understanding of math concepts. 

Explain

Participants analyze how physical movement activities can be integrated into various mathematics classroom scenarios through a gallery walk.

Extend

Participants apply physical movement pedagogy by integrating a movement strategy into a mathematics lesson.

Evaluate

Participants reflect on instructional strategies and commit to integrating four strategies into future math lessons.

Materials List

  • Presentation Slides (attached)

  • Strategy Break Down handout (attached; one per participant)

  • Strategy Reflection handout (attached; one per participant)

  • Printable Strategy Cards handout (attached; see preparation note)

  • Chart Paper 

  • Sticky notes 

  • Scrap paper

  • Pens/ Pencils

Preparation

20 Minute(s)

Engage

Set out stacks of sticky notes and pens/ pencils at each table. These will be used in the first activity and later on in the session. For the Engage, create spaces for collecting sticky notes for the activity: “Looks Like, Sounds Like, and Feels Like.” This may be done with three individual chart papers or labels on different walls. 

Explain

Before the session, set-up three chart papers with the provided scenarios and hang them around the room. Scenarios can be found on hidden slides 21-23. We suggest printing PDF versions of these slides and attaching them to the top of each chart paper, but you can also handwrite them. If you have a larger group, consider doing two chart papers for each scenario. For this session, you will also need the instructional strategy cards: Still Picture, Human Bingo, and ABC Graffiti. See attached Printable Strategy Cards handout; print and fold accordingly. Each group should have one card. 

Engage

15 Minute(s)

Use the Presentation Slides to guide the session. Welcome participants. Display slide 2 and introduce yourself and the session. Transition through slides 3-4 to introduce the essential question and learning objectives for today’s professional learning activities. 

Move to slide 5 and introduce the participants to the Looks Like, Sounds Like, Feels Like strategy. Direct participants to the sticky notes on their table. Move to slide 6 and ask participants to individually answer the following questions on a sticky note: What do motivated and engaged students look like? Once everyone has written on their sticky note, have them share at their table, and synthesize to one sticky note for the table. Ask one volunteer to place the sticky note on the poster or designated space under the column “Looks Like.”

Use slides 7-8 to repeat the process for “Sounds Like” and “Feels Like.” Make sure to allow enough time for participants to share at their table and synthesize their responses each time. Repeat instructions from slide 5 as often as needed. 

Ask for volunteers from each group to share what they discussed about the questions.

Explore

20 Minute(s)

Transition to slide 9. Explain how physical movement activities in math classrooms offer several benefits when done purposefully. These activities do not have to be complex, and they can be incorporated with existing lessons.  

Use slides 10-12 to briefly introduce the model lesson “Are You Smarter Than a Calculator?” Discuss the summary and snapshot of the lesson. 

Introduce the instructional strategy Commit and Toss as it is used in this model lesson.  Invite participants to complete the problem on slide 13. Remind the participants to show their work.

Transition to slide 14. Have them crumple up the paper with the problem on it, toss it across the room, and then collect a crumpled paper that is different from theirs. Next, have participants silently review their peer’s work and compare it to their own. Invite them to share what they noticed. 

Display slide 15 and have participants use the Walk and Talk strategy to reflect on the benefits of physical movement in mathematics. Move to slide 16 and ask participants to pair up and walk around the room while answering the provided prompt. Start the K20 1-Minute Timer. When the timer stops, ask participants to find a new partner and discuss the new prompt. Repeat these steps for slides 17-18. Afterwards, ask participants to return to their seats. Have a brief group discussion over participants’ answers.

Explain

25 Minute(s)

Use slide 19 to facilitate the Gallery Walk activity. Explain that we will use this strategy to synthesize what we already know about physical movement into three different disciplines of mathematics: algebra, geometry, and statistics. Split the participants into three even groups and assign each group a chart paper. Each chart will illustrate a different scenario. Using the Printable Strategy Cards handout, pass out an instructional strategy card to each group. Ask participants to read the instructional strategy and the description. This instructional strategy will be used by their group for all three rounds of the Gallery Walk. After they have read their strategy, invite them to read the scenario assigned and discuss how that strategy can be used in the scenario provided. Encourage each group to write notes on the chart paper. Set a K20 5-Minute Timer. When the timer goes off, have each group rotate clockwise to the next scenario and read the notes on how their strategy could work with this new scenario. Repeat until all participants have completed each scenario. 

Transition to slide 20 and ask participants to go back to their original scenario and break into three groups with one group staying at their original scenario and the other two moving to a different scenario. Now each scenario should have a mix of different strategy experts. Allow participants to explain what their strategy was and how they saw it working within that scenario. After the Gallery Walk, ask participants to return to their seats. Use hidden slides 21-23 as needed to facilitate a large group discussion.

Extend

30 Minute(s)

Display slide 24. Explain to participants that movement significantly improves retention and engagement, but only if it is intentional and planned. 

On slide 25, share three questions that teachers should consider when planning a physical activity. 

  • Why are you having students engage in a physical activity?

  • How does integrating movement help students process content?

  • What point in the learning process would movement support collaboration and learning?

Display slide 26. Invite participants to explore the K20 LEARN website and find a lesson that fits within their school’s pacing and standards. Once they find a lesson, they will select a section of the lesson in which they want to integrate a movement strategy.  Start the K20 10-Minute Timer to limit time for participants to read and familiarize themselves with the lesson.

Transition to slide 27. Briefly introduce the Moved by Math collection of strategies and the purpose for the collection. This collection was built specifically for physical movement in a math classroom, and while these strategies are highly effective, the list is not exhaustive. Show participants that for each strategy there are model lessons that demonstrate the strategy in the “related resources.” 

Have participants choose a strategy from the collection to insert into their previously chosen lesson to increase movement. Pass out the Strategy Break Down handout to everyone. Have participants write the lesson name, the strategy name, and detailed steps about how the strategy fits into the concept. The steps should be concise and clear. Encourage participants to follow the format on the strategy card. Invite participants to use the Elbow Partner strategy to share the lesson and strategy they chose. 

Evaluate

10 Minute(s)

Conclude the group discussion by passing out the Strategy Reflection handout. Display slide 28 and briefly discuss the different strategies used during the session. Ask participants to consider their students and reflect on how these different strategies would look in their classroom. Move to slide 29 and using Think-Pair-Share, have participants go back to their handout and answer the following questions in the space provided:

  1. Which three strategies do you plan to implement in your classroom this quarter? Why?

  2. How can you modify these strategies to work with your students? Explain. 

After participants write their answers, have them share their answers with a partner. If time permits, have partners share their Think-Pair-Share ideas with the larger group.

Research Rationale

Physical movement incorporated into existing math lessons can increase student motivation, engagement, retention, and cooperation skills. Rather than focusing solely on knowledge retention, PAL (Physically Active Learning) emphasizes the learning process, creating opportunities for students to explore, experience, and interact with mathematical concepts through movement (Mandelid, et al, 2023). Research shows that the pedagogical approach of combining physical activity and academic learning creates a cognitive bonding process that enables enhanced comprehension and retention (González-Pérez et al, 2025). 

Both González-Pérez, et al (2025) and Norris et al (2018) also found that adolescents, particularly secondary students, tend to spend a majority of their school day on sedentary behaviors, but provide hope that schools can provide a structure to integrate physical movement into academics, increasing students' activity and attention. Mandelid, et al (2023) argue teachers play a central role in designing activities that connect movement with clear mathematical goals, structuring tasks, and guiding reflection so students understand the purpose behind the activity. 

By purposefully integrating kinesthetic learning into math, educators design opportunities for students to shift their perceptions of math ultimately creating classrooms that increase student’s concentration, motivation, and increase academic performance.

Resources

  • González-Pérez, M., Grao-Cruces, A., Bandera-Campos, F. J., Chalkley, A., Camiletti-Moirón, D., & Sánchez-Oliva, D. (2025). Less is more: Qualitative insights into physically active learning in secondary math education. PLOS ONE, 20(11), e0336641. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336641

  • Norris, E., Dunsmuir, S., Duke-Williams, O., Stamatakis, E., & Shelton, N. (2018). Physically active lessons improve lesson activity and on-task behavior: A cluster-randomized controlled trial of the “Virtual Traveller” intervention. Health Education & Behavior, 45(6), 945–956. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198118762106

Publisher

K20 Center

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Standards

Educator Standards 6–12 (6th - 12th)
E.S.8.1: Design and provide courses that challenge students academically while fostering skills in literacy, numeracy, scientific literacy, and critical thinking, building a strong foundation for college and career success.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards (K-12th)
7: The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context. 
7a: The teacher individually and collaboratively selects and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals and content standards, and are relevant to learners.
7b: The teacher plans how to achieve each student’s learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and accommodations, resources, and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of learners.
8: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
8a: The teacher uses appropriate strategies and resources to adapt instruction to the needs of individuals and groups of learners.
8e: The teacher provides multiple models and representations of concepts and skills with opportunities for learners to demonstrate their knowledge through a variety of products and performances.

Facilitator Resources

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  • Presentation Slides—Implementation

Learner Handouts

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  • Printable Strategy Cards—Implementation
  • Strategy Break Down—Implementation
  • Strategy Reflection—Implementation

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