A School Trip to Explore Paris Through Maths and Science

When you think of Paris, you probably think of it as being the 'City of Love', literature or art, but it is also a great destination for those on a school trip with a focus on science and mathematics. From the efficient town planning of the city, to estimating how many panes of glass there are in the famous Louvre Museum, there is always a mathematical or scientific slant that can be explored while in Paris on a school trip.

The city's street grid was overhauled under Napoleon III by Haussmann's rearrangement of the street plan. Its wide avenues and openings from four directions gave a sense of space to the city that has influenced the way in which Parisians live to this day. There's plenty of things to focus on, mathematically, in the city: you can practice estimation with the street layout, and you can even go to the point where the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Egyptian Needle can be lined up by the eye. Once you have explored the city at large, take a bit of time to head to the Cite des Sciences and examine the architectural elements of La Defense.

The Cite des Sciences

As the largest science museum in all of Europe, any student on a school trip to Paris focusing on any of the maths or sciences should pay a visit here. Located in the Parc de la Villette, construction on the Cite des Sciences was begun in 1977 and it was officially opened in 1986. The Cite des Sciences hosts a variety of science based attractions that combine entertainment, learning, and leisure activities - there really is something there for students of any age. One of the key themes of the space as a whole focuses on environmental, ethical, and geo-economic topics brought to light in the advancing of modern technology and science. The space hosts a huge variety of permanent and changing exhibitions and interactive areas, along with a planetarium, greenhouse, Argonaut submarine, cinema, aquarium and so much more. You will be hard-pressed to explore it all in just one day.

La Defense

From the world of science at the Cite des Sciences, head deep into the heart of modern business in the area of Paris known as La Defense. An ideal site to visit on a school trip to Paris, it will have you bending your head back in awe at the soaring skyscrapers that make up Europe's largest, purpose built business district. Named after the iconic La Defense, the area is made up of 72 buildings and divided into 12 sectors, over 400 acres. There are some 150,000 workers toiling away every day and over 60 modern artworks and sculptures to keep the area looking human and connected despite its modernity.