Grade 5 students on the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus scrubbed in for an imaginative Order of OpERations math lesson on September 18 that transformed their classrooms into bustling hospital units and challenged them to apply their developing math and writing skills in creative ways.

The day began with a visit from Bolles alumnus Dr. Aarian Afshari ’07, an emergency medicine physician and President and Chief Medical Officer of medical equipment company Nebuscent, who shared what it is like to work in the Emergency Room. He taught students how to use stethoscopes, test reflexes and wrap ankles while also explaining the ABCs of medicine: airway, breathing and circulation. Students asked questions about his career and learned how medical professionals prioritize patient care.

Grade 5 teachers Kaki Movsovitz and Elizabeth Wingo Walker ’10 built on that excitement as the students transitioned into a hands-on math adventure centered on order of operations. The teachers transformed their classrooms into different hospital units, including an Emergency Room, ICU, Patient Waiting Room, Burn Unit and Surgical Ward, where students took on the role of surgeons responsible for diagnosing and treating a variety of patients.

Among those needing care were several celebrity patients, including singer Benson Boone and baseball player Aaron Judge. Students completed order of operations problems to determine diagnoses, select the correct medical tools and carry out treatment plans.

In our Emergency Room, students worked their way through a series of increasingly challenging problems. They began in the Triage Unit with simpler equations and advanced through various departments until reaching the Surgical Ward, where they tackled a complex nine-step problem.

The Burn Unit featured an engaging creative writing challenge in which students stepped into the role of medical professionals. Each student was presented with a unique patient, set of symptoms and medical mystery, then used creativity and critical thinking to decide how the scenario would unfold.

In the Patient Waiting Room, students got to play the game Operation. Throughout the experience, students collaborated, problem-solved and applied their math skills in an engaging environment that connected classroom concepts to real-world careers. One Top Dog even said they want to be an Emergency Room doctor now!

To view more photos from Afshari’s presentation and the Order of OpERations, visit the online photo gallery. #BollesPVB