Alpena High School students in the Geometry in Construction class learn math in a classroom, then apply what they learned to building in the workshop next to that classroom.

“I love this class,” said Rylee Hartman. “I like being able to learn how to use tools. If we didn’t have a math class with it, I wouldn’t understand it.”

Kara Gehrke teaches the classroom math, and Jason Loyer teaches the construction aspect.

“They’re working on a step build,” said Loyer, who teaches construction and megatronics at AHS. “So, they all had to figure out the geometry behind it.”

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Rylee Hartman and Ethan Bradbury piece together their stairs in Alpena High School’s Geometry in Construction class.

Gehrke said they are working on learning slope, and students are able to apply what they learned in the classroom to their staircase builds.

“They’re seeing those connections between things that they do in their everyday life,” Gehrke said. “It’s really cool, too, because the students help each other a lot.”

She said a lot of things they learn in Geometry in Construction can be applied to working on construction projects at home or on a building site.

“Every problem that they do in the math world relates back to something they could be doing with construction,” Gehrke said. “It makes them really think, ‘OK, how am I actually using this?’ It’s cool to see. It’s a lot of fun. It’s really cool for them to learn some skills that will go beyond just high school.”

In addition to learning and applying geometry, students in this class help the community, as well. Each year, they designate a community project to work on together.

Last year, the class made Little Library book cabinets that were placed around Alpena. Each Little Library has the name of the student engraved on it, so they can see their work out in the community, and take pride in that contribution. The class has also made deer blinds in prior years.

In the spring, they plan to make greenhouses for the community along the riverfront behind The Armory building in downtown Alpena.

“It’s something that can positively impact the community,” Gehrke said.

Alpena High School math teacher Lisa Rosenbeck headed up the program for a number of years. She said the Geometry in Construction class has been offered for over eight years.

“Last year was the first year we did a project in town,” Rosenbeck said.

She said it’s good for the students “because they get to see it in the community. They have some pride and ownership in it, because every Little Library has their name on it.”

Little Libraries are a “take a book, leave a book” system in which people can borrow books at their convenience.

“There’s one out on Garden Street in front of the high school,” she added. “There’s one at Ella White at the main entrance. There’s one at the dog park in town. There’s one at Bob-A-Lu Market in Herron, and out in Wilson Township Park, Male’s Grocery, and then Connie’s Cafe in Ossineke.”

Rosenbeck said the class and community project are excellent experiences for students.

“It really gives kids a different perspective, as well,” Rosenbeck said of the class. “Because, when they see how they’re going to apply it in the future, they do a much better job with it. They see how it can be used. It answers that question, ‘When am I ever going to use this?'”

Reach Darby Hinkley at dhinkley@thealpenanews.com, or call 989-358-5691.