Gesture Counting Lesson for Mathematics for Elementary Teachers or Liberal Studies Course

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Gesture Counting Lesson for Mathematics for
Elementary Teachers or Liberal Studies Course

• Author Dr. Charles P. Funkhouser
• NSF Funded Project
• Award DUE-1122823

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Goals of the lesson

• 1. Describe the fundamentals and uses of gesture
  counting.
• 2. Appreciate the need for alternative methods of
  number representation and communication in Native
  American cultures.
• 3. Present Plains Indian counting gestures for 1
  to 10 (and suggest gestures for higher numbers).
• 4. Suggest the relationship between real-world
  situations and number gestures, and basis.
• 5. Investigate other cultures gesture counting
  and their development of such systems.

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Session-related Stories

• The story is as important as the content.
• Stories are oral or written ways of relating a
  particular idea or concept to the real world or
  everyday life, to a broader context than just the
  abstract content.

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Participant Materials Equipment

• Gesture Counting Narrative
• Gesture Counting Worksheet
• (Digital) Camera or videocam\VCR
• Power Point on PC or Mac
• CD burner and appropriate software

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Session Overview

• Teacher exposition on various historical
  numeration systems
• Investigation of related Plains Indian culture
• History and procedures for Plains Indian gesture
  counting presented
• Students practice gesture counting then discuss
  related mathematical content
• Problems assigned both from textbook and from a
  worksheet

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and finally.

• 1. Investigate other systems of gesture counting
  (e.g., African, Asian, ASL)
• 2. Do library or interview research on Native
  American culture as related to gesture counting
  or signing in general.
• 3. Prepare a set of camera or Power Point
  images of Native American gesture counting and
  its application in a real-world (tribal) setting
  and record on some medium.

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Wrap-Up

• Further discussion and ideas on Gesture Counting
  and American Indian culture

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Gesture Counting Pictorial

• Graphic of Gesture Counting from 1 to 10, 10s,
  and 100
• Native American Speaker gesturing 1 to 10 and 80

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Gestures for 1 to 10,10s and 100.
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Counting 1 to 5
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6 to 10, and
30.