at the House of Seven Gables

Salem native Nathaniel Bowditch, born near The House of the Seven Gables in 1773, was America's first mathematical geographer. His mastery of mathematics helped sailors navigate safely from port to port.

In the tradition of Bowditch, you will use math, keen observation skills, and a directional compass to help you navigate from one "port" or station to another to complete the SPECTACULAR SEVEN SEARCH.

At each station, you will know you are in the right place when you find SEVEN of something. You will then perform a mathematical task which will help you find your way to the next station. The pictures on the facing pages are clues.

One of the activities linking history with mathematics from this Spectacular Seven Search through the House of 7 Gables grounds is described here. Children (of all ages - parents invited to participate) enjoy the exploration and the mystery, and even the mathematics!
You may also read about the Spectacular Seven Search on the House of Seven Gables Educational Programs site.

From this Colonial Revival garden, you will be able to see seven squares in a trellis (support plants can grow on) near the door. Part of the beauty of this garden comes from its symmetry, a geometrical idea about how a design or shape is made. If the design or shape were on a sheet of paper, and you could fold that paper so one side of the design is matched exactly to the other side of the design, then that design has symmetry, and the fold crease is a LINE OF SYMMETRY. Count the lines of symmetry in the garden flower boxes. (To find the lines of symmetry, draw the boxed beds on the paper in your kit, and then fold your drawings so all the corners and edges match. How many fold lines do you have?) Write the number of lines of symmetry in this blank. _______

Stand in front of the trellis and take two times that number of giant steps NORTH for your next station with a seven.--

From this station you can see seven DIFFERENT windows on the south face of the House of Seven Gables. You will also find yourself near the sea in the shade of the largest horse chestnut tree on the property. Did you know that you can tell the age of a tree by looking at the inside circles of the tree's cross section? Each circle represents one year of growth -- and was once the outside circumference of the tree. Use the string and centimeter tape from your bag to measure the circumference of the horse chestnut tree at 50 centimeters above the ground. Write the measurement in the _____.

Divide the circumference by 4 and walk that number of feet WEST. Jog to the right to go around the bushes. Use your yardstick to help you measure the correct number of feet. Enter the building and go into the room on your left to find your next seven.

About the authors.....

Ann McCamy was school programs specialist at the House of Seven Gables in the summer of 1997 when the program was written. . She has taught middle school and high school, and chaired a regional committee for the National Council of Teachers of English standards project. She has authored articles in professional journals and is co-author of a children's tour of The House of the Seven Gables.

Cathy Draper is currently the owner of The Math Studio in Salem, MA, where students of all ages can experiment, explore, and learn mathematics through hands-on math materials. She conducts in service training for teachers for CEU and PDP credits and is a visiting lecturer in the mathematics department at Salem State College.