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Puxi Campus G1: Exploring Campus with Joy— First Graders Embark on a Math Hunt

September 15, 2026

In September, a new cohort of first graders began their elementary school journey at Shanghai High School International Division (SHSID) Puxi Campus. During their second week of school, as they settled into their new routines and surroundings, the students embarked on their first mathematics adventure.


This time, math class extended beyond the classroom. Guided by their teachers, the children explored the campus, counting, observing, and recording what they discovered along the way. As they became more familiar with their new surroundings, they also began to see the world around them through a mathematical lens.


It was a carefully designed campus math adventure. The children visited the Grade 1 hallway, parking lot, basketball court, lawn, and playground. They counted school buses in the parking lot, looked for slides and seesaws on the playground, and observed flowers and butterflies on the lawn. Skills they had been practicing in the classroom suddenly became meaningful in the world around them. Every corner of the campus offered an opportunity to notice numbers and uncover a math story. As they walked, looked, counted, and recorded, the children were not only exploring their new campus—they were gradually making it feel like home.


Two special activities made the mathematics even more engaging. In the “My Math Problem” section, students turned their observations into math problems of their own. One child might write, “I see 6 red flowers, 7 yellow flowers, and 4 white flowers. How many flowers are there in all?” Through this simple exercise, students began to recognize that mathematics is not something separate from everyday life. It can be found in the grass, among the leaves, and all around the campus.


In the “Guess Where?” activity, students used the concept of whole and parts to represent their thinking and write addition equations. They then followed mathematical clues to identify a mystery location on campus. With each step, mathematics became a playful form of exploration—part problem-solving, part detective work.


For these first graders, the activity served two important purposes. First, it gave them an opportunity to become familiar with their new campus, connect with their teachers and classmates, and gradually turn a new environment into a place where they feel comfortable and welcome. At the same time, it offered an authentic context for experiencing mathematics, helping students see that math is not simply a collection of numbers and equations, but a way of observing, thinking, questioning, and making sense of the world.


As their teachers wrote in the welcome letter, “Every corner of our campus has a math story to tell.” It all began with counting school buses. For the newest members of the SHSID community, this was more than a math hunt. It was a first step toward discovering their new school, building a sense of belonging, and developing a lasting curiosity about mathematics.


As the school year unfolds, may these young explorers continue to look closely, ask questions, think deeply, and find joy in the many mathematical stories waiting to be discovered around them.





(Written by Jiahui Wen

Pictures by Siying Li

Reviewed by Yi Zhang, Shiyu Wu)