A Foxy Loxy and a Lallapalagram

Autor/in	Wilson, Johnnie B.
Titel	A Foxy Loxy and a Lallapalagram
Quelle	In: Teaching Children Mathematics, 16 (2010) 8, S.492-499 (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1073-5836
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Geometric Concepts; Geometry; Teaching Methods; Mathematics Instruction; Language Arts; Language Usage; Grade 1; Elementary School Mathematics; Interdisciplinary Approach; Student Motivation; English (Second Language); Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Elementare Geometrie; Geometrie; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Sprachkultur; Sprachgebrauch; School year 01; 1. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 01; Elementare Mathematik; Schulmathematik; Fächerübergreifender Unterricht; Fächerverbindender Unterricht; Interdisziplinarität; Schulische Motivation; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Deutschland
Abstract	It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that teaching mathematics should greatly differ from teaching language arts. Classroom teachers at Munich International School in Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany, did not pay much attention to what language means to learning and teaching mathematics--until their geometry students offered language surprises that reminded their teachers how important language is. When teachers confront interesting uses of language during mathematics lessons, they must consider how that language matters to students' understanding. This article describes a first-grade geometry unit that focused on the attributes of plane and solid figures. Teachers organized the curriculum around naming and sorting activities that include many opportunities for students to construct figures. In planning the unit, teachers discussed how language seems to matter more to this unit than to others. The central activity to doing the math in geometry was naming. The author presents examples of naming geometric shapes--diamonds or squares, rectangles or "lallapalagrams," hexagons or "foxy loxies." The construction of mathematical meaning through the work of naming is important in all these examples. In constructing meaning through naming, the author suggests that teachers should bridge everyday understanding of geometric figures to more formal mathematical understanding of these figures. (Contains 3 figures.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1502. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-3702; Fax: 703-476-2970; e-mail: orders@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10