Drawings from Angola: Living MathematicsFor children from age 8 to 14. "Drawings from Angola" present an introduction to an African story telling tradition. The tales are illustrated with marvelous drawings made in the sand. The book conveys the stories of the stork and the leopard, the hunter and the dog, the rooster and the fox, and others. It explains how to execute the drawings. The reader is invited to draw tortoises, antelopes, lions, and other animals. The activities proposed throughout the book invite the reader to experiment and to explore the 'rhythm' and symmetry of the illustrations. Surprising results will be playfully obtained, such as in arithmetic, a way to calculate quickly the sum of a sequence of odd numbers. Children will live the beautiful mathematics of the Angolan sanddrawings. Answers to the activities are provided. The book can be used both in classrooms and at home. |
Contents
A beautiful excursion | 7 |
The rhythm of a drawing | 22 |
Axes of symmetry | 35 |
Sum of the odd numbers | 49 |
Some more activities | 64 |
Common terms and phrases
Activity additional points Africa already angle Angola antelope array of points asked axes of symmetry axis begin calculate calculate quickly carefully changing closed lines Cokwe drawing represents Cokwe type columns columns of points composed Construct continue counting cubs dimensions direction draw a lioness drawer Drawings from Angola equal Examine example executing the drawing face figure finger four Geometry going ground happen hen in flight hunter illustrate imagine impression independent indicated interesting isolated point leopard lines are needed lion lioness Living Mathematics Look mark Mathematics method movement Mozambique natural numbers necessary Notice number of points obtain odd numbers path Paulus Gerdes present problem Publishers rectangle rectangular array Reproduce rhythm Rooster rotational symmetry rows rule sand side sona square arrays story straight-line symmetry of 90o tattoo tortoise total number trace tradition turn twins Verify write