Jill Wells

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Using Literature to Develop Investigations In
Numeracy

• Jill Wells

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Why use Investigations?

• Investigations provide children with
  opportunities to perform calculations and use
  mathematical tools in context. They also provide
  a context for children to reason, explain
  thinking, to justify conclusions and to analyse
  situations all indicators of mathematical
  literacy.
• (Diezmann, Watters English (2001))

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What are Investigations?

• Investigations are genuine, thought revealing
  activities that provide teachers with an insight
  into students mathematical literacy as they work
  in unfamiliar situations.
• (Lesch, Hoover, Hole, Kelly Post (2000))

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Investigations involve

• Communication
• Representation
• Connections

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Communication

• Students natural curiosity leads them to ask
  numerous questions. Their developing vocabulary
  allows them to communicate details and begin
  making accurate comparisons.

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Engagement Purpose

• Students love of books and stories enables early
  childhood literature to be an excellent
  springboard for students to identify mathematics
  in stories and to relate it to the real world.

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For example.....

• Shoes from Grandpa....
• Mem Fox
• New shoes
• New socks
• New skirt
• New shirt etc...

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What Questions Could We Ask?

• What does Jessie REALLY want? (Literal)
• If Jessie got her new jeans what colour might
  they be? (Opinion vs Fact)
• If Jessie got a new shirt what colour might that
  be?
• I wonder how many different sets of clothes
  Jessie could wear? How could we work it out?
• Are you sure you have the right answer?
• How can you check?
• Explain to me how you got your answer?
• How did you check to see if your answer was
  correct?

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What Maths Did We Use?

• Working Mathematically
• Mathematical Strategies representing problems
  with concrete materials
• Checking Verifying
• Communicating
• Patterning Algebra
• Patterning
• Chance Data
• Outcomes

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Extend...

• Data
• Who would prefer to wear which outfit?
• Which colour shirt would be your favourite?
• How could we show all the favourites for the
  class?
• How could we sort all these pieces of clothing?
  (colour, type of clothing)
• Would other classes have the same preferences?
• What about older classes/younger classes?

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Alternate Activities - Inquiries

• If Grandad bought you a pair of shoes, would he
  know what size to buy?
• Do you all have the same size foot?
• If Grandad didnt know your size, what would be
  the best size to buy?
• What would be the best colour to buy?

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Investigations involve

• Communication
• Representations
• Connections

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Break Out Groups

• Consider the mathematical investigations that
  some of these books could lead to...
• What are some of the questions you might ask the
  students?
• What are the areas of mathematics the students
  would cover?
• Do the students have the opportunity to
  Communicate, Represent, Connect

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Sharing

• Give synopsis of story
• List the questions you could ask and the
  mathematical activities you could generate.

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A Last Word......

• Student to Teacher - Student to Student
• Explaining
• Justifying
• Describing
• Questioning
• Classrooms where students are able to investigate
  their own questions provide environments for
  students to build self confidence and to
  construct their own understandings.
• Students need the opportunity to recognise the
  mathematics, ask their own questions and
  determine their own investigations.

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The End

• Questions?
• Contact Jill jwell29_at_eq.edu.au