Research Ideas

 

Mathematics (funded by SSHRC + Fields)

  1. Infinity in my hand (gr. 3: fractions, infinity, limit)
  2. Making sums of 10 (gr. 3-4: patterning, linear functions)
  3. How to fence a pen (gr. 2-4: area, perimeter, optimization)
  4. Where parallel lines meet (gr. 2: geometry of a sphere)
  5. Probability race (gr. 2-4: probability with dice)
  6. Odds and evens (gr. 2, 7: growth patterns, odds, evens)
  7. Low floor, high ceiling (big ideas for young mathematicians)
  8. I don't like math anymore (I love it now! - math-for-teachers)
  9. Math performance (what did you do in math today?)
  10. Research performance (arts-informed research dissemination)
Mathematics (funded by KNAER)
  1. How much is a billion? (gr. 3: Fermi questions, social justice)
  2. Math pattern trains (gr. 1-4: growth patterns, slope, linear functions)
  3. Math waves around us (gr. 3-4: patterning, trigonometry)
Science
  1. Cough, cough (gr. 4: pollution, social justice)
  2. Eating plastic (gr. 3-4: the great plastic dump, social justice)
  3. Refraction action (gr. 2-3: refraction)
  4. Will it float, will it sink? (gr. 2-3: density, buoyancy)
  5. Gravity's pull (gr. 2-3: gravity, density)
Peter Jaffe on violence & abuse
  1. Never met a happy bully (bullying and breaking the silence)
  2. The lizard in your brain (violence in the media)

 

 

 

 


 

Math performance

1. What did you do in math today?

1.a What did you do in math today?

Imagine children sharing with family and friends about school math experiences just as they might with a favourite book or a good movie.

Imagine children also sharing their math experiences by telling math stories through drama and song.

This is exactly what children are doing in our project classrooms.

1.b Designing math worth talking about

Classroom math activities are based on two principles. First, children need to experience mathematics that is worth talking about. We design activities that have a low mathematical floor (requiring minimal math knowledge for engagement) and a high mathematical ceiling (so ideas can be extended to more complex concepts and representations), and offer children opportunities for experiencing mathematical surprise. We use children's literature so students connect emotionally to the mathematics explored.

Second, we help children develop arts-based communication skills for telling good math stories, through drama and song.

1.c Sharing and celebrating math experiences

Songs from these classrooms are shared through the Math and Science Performance Festival and through Joy of X concerts funded by the Fields Institute.

The poster below imagines a world where mathematics is alive in the world and is communicated emotionally and artistically as is the case with other human experience. The poster on the subway wall also advertises the public concert planned for 26 May 2012, where Joy of X will be joined by Bob Hallett (Great Big Sea), Tracy Bone and J.C. Campbell.

2. Seeing "Math performance " through art

2.a Let's paint a math story!

Below is an artistic representation of "Math performance." Artistically rendered by Ann Langeman (Faculty of Education, UWO). Designed by George Gadanidis. You can see this painting at the Fields Institute, Toronto, Ontario.

Resources

  • Gadanidis, G. & Hughes, J. (2011). Performing big math ideas across the grades. Teaching Children Mathematics, 17(8), 486-496.
  • Gadanidis, G. (2010). What did you do in math today? Teaching and Learning K-8 Math with an Audience in mind. Whitby, ON: Brainy Day Publications.
  • Gadanidis, G., Hughes, J. & Borba, M. (2008). Students as performance mathematicians. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 14(3), 168-175.
  • Gadanidis, G. & Borba, M. (2008). Our lives as performance mathematicians. For the Learning of Mathematics, 28(1), 42-49.