‘If I Had a Hammer’ uses construction to pound basics into students
By Meliqueica Meadows
Of the St. Louis American
“If your math’s not right, your house is weak,” Perry Wilson told an anxious but attentive group of 30 sixth graders from Bishop Middle School Wednesday. Wilson is the founder of If I Had a Hammer, a special program that shows students the practical application of math in everyday life.
On Wednesday, Missouri’s Community Partnership for Greater St. Louis and ARCHS announced the If I Had a Hammer Community Partnership as a new initiative to change the way area students learn about math and science. Wellston students were the first to take part in the program, which teaches practical application of mathematics through the building of a house, followed by 21 days of after-school tutoring.
Wilson created If I Had a Hammer as a result of his own experience as a youth struggling with mathematics.
“I couldn’t pass math in school and always had trouble with it,” Wilson said. “I eventually became a carpenter and realized that the math that I couldn’t pass in school I could use to build whatever I wanted to.”
The kernel of his program came from two mentoring experiences.
“Once, in fourth grade, I failed, and my dad built a tree house with me. I realized how when I was having a hard time, he supported me,” Wilson said.
“When my friend’s son failed math, I decided to build a tree house with him, the same way my dad had done when I’d failed. And this kid blew me away with his ability.”
That boy became a template for the students who would benefit from If I Had a Hammer. Wilson said, “Most kids I work with don’t like math because they don’t understand why it’s needed and how to apply it in the real world.”
Angela Carr and Felicia Pugh are the sixth grade teachers in Wellston whose students are taking part in the unique program. They said they hope students will apply what they learn from Wilson’s program on the MAP test they will take at the end of March.
“Historically, students have not done well on the geometry portion of the test,” Pugh said.
“I’m hoping this program helps with my students’ geometry skills. I also hope they see the true application of math and the importance of it in everyday life.”
The centerpiece of the program is the hands-on assembly of a Hammer House, an 8×11-foot freestanding building, complete with windows, doors and a front porch. Working as a group, students used construction tools to erect the house in just two hours.
“The students were very excited to take part in the program, and I was excited for them, too,” Carr said. “This is a wonderful experience for them to have the opportunity to build this model house.”
Carr said her students are excited about the program, the impact of which will hopefully continue well after the completion of the initial model home.
“Over the next three- to four-week period, they will build about 16 houses. They’ll be split into groups of threes and then groups of twos, and then they’ll get the chance to make an individual small-scale house of cardboard on their own,” Carr said.
“They get to design it and do everything. They get to be in charge. I think it’ll give them a boost with the hands-on experience, along with their books, because just seeing it on paper won’t work for everybody.”
Wellston students were tested before the program and will be given a follow-up test at the end of the tutoring component. The results will be part of a comparisons study of the program’s impact on students’ math and science skills.
“It’s fun because it’ll just help me learn more so that I can get a good education and become what I want to be when I grow up,” 12-year-old Anthony Buckner said.
Kanika Nelson, also 12 years old, said the program would help her be more successful in the classroom and on the MAP test.
“I didn’t understand math until I got in Ms. Pugh’s class, and she helped me understand addition, multiplication, division and all of that,” she said.
“I’m a little nervous about the MAP, because I don’t want to fail. I want to pass so I can go on to the seventh grade and be a lawyer when I grow up.” Nelson expressed a deeply pragmatic view of the importance of mathematics. “And it’s important to know math,” she said, “because when you get to be an adult and you have checks, you need to be able to count them so no one can scam you out of your money.”
Besides strengthening necessary math and science skills, the program exposes youth to careers in the construction and development industries as well as educational opportunities at Construction Careers Center, a free, public magnet school for St. Louis city students. Several of the center’s students were on hand to assist with the building of the model house.
“It’s all about the kids and exposing them to different career opportunities,” Patience Jones-Washington, student recruiter for the school, said.
“Everyone looks down on vocational education, but really our curriculum is more aggressive. With construction, kids need to know that it’s not all blue-collar. There are white-collar jobs in the industry, like architects and lawyers. And a construction attorney makes a heck of a lot more than a prosecuting attorney.”
Wilson led the students through the building process Wednesday and quizzed them on basic math skills as they put their colorful home together. One student even won $10 after completing a mock job interview with Wilson.
“If I Had a Hammer is grateful for the opportunity to work with the youth of St. Louis and ARCHS,” Wilson said.
“We appreciate that we share the philosophy that there are no learning disabilities, only learning differences. We’re anxious to work with ARCHS to help children experience the joy and success that come when they are given the opportunity to apply their math education to their life.”
For more information about If I Had a Hammer, visit www.ifihadahammer.com.
