A look back at Mathematics class 3-day 2026

The Mathematics class 3-day in February 2026 was titled “From Sphere to Map.” It was an assignment for which many schools sought collaboration with geography teachers!

As we know, the Earth we live on is a sphere. But maps of the world, the “projections” of the globe, are two-dimensional, or in other words: flat. When you make a map of the globe, you have to make choices about how it will look. After all, it’s impossible to flatten the Earth without distorting it in some way. Just look at an orange peel: if you really want to flatten it completely, you have to stretch it, press it flat, and tear it. 

The same applies to the Earth: if we want to make a map, we have to distort the Earth’s surface to make it flat. You can choose what to distort (surface area, shape, distance, direction), and what you consider important to keep the same. So you can tell your own story with a map. In addition, you can also create maps that tell a completely different story, based on other characteristics: about how (densely) populated a country is, or how many Olympic medals a country has won....

All these types of possible maps inspired the design of this assignment. Teams of students were invited to create a project and/or a short video; the winners will be announced by May 1, 2026.

Would you like to participate in the Mathematics class 3-day next school year? Then be sure to mark the following dates in your calendar: Monday, February 1 through Friday, February 12.

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