Students who struggle with mathematics at Minnesauke Elementary School will soon have the chance to build their skills thanks to a new and inventive math-themed art project completed this fall by teacher Paul Wilgenkamp, with the help of retired Three Village art teacher Frank Marangiello.

A giant yellow brick road, similar to the one made famous in “The Wizard of Oz,” now covers the floor in the school’s math center. Inscribed in the design are numbers aimed at helping students with multiple factors, least common multiples, prime numbers and math properties. There is also a negative space – drawn in black and white like Kansas was depicted in the movie – that shows the connection between positive and negative integers. Through various activities, the students will  travel the path of the yellow brick road and venture out on different mathematical quests.

“It is our hope that as students progress through these activities, they will have the courage, heart and brains to feel at home with fact fluency,” said Mr. Wilgenkamp. “With the opportunity to practice, they will be feeling like math wizards in no time.”