ERIC Number: EJ1162120
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0228-0671
EISSN: N/A
April and the Infinitely Many Ping Pong Balls
Mamolo, Ami
For the Learning of Mathematics, v37 n3 p2-8 2017
This story is a playful retelling of ideas related to infinity. Presented as a historical fiction, the story reflects the thinking of research participants who addressed the ping pong ball conundrum, and where indicated, the individuals who contributed to modern formal understandings of infinity. This story offers a way of engaging with questions, controversies, ideas, and beliefs related to infinity. The characters in the story are confronted with a situation that challenges the notion of an "objective" truth. Through their musings, April and her friends stumble upon the contextually-dependent nature of mathematical truth and open the door to further conversation.
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Mathematical Concepts, Context Effect, Concept Formation, Fiction, Manipulative Materials
FLM Publishing Association. 382 Education South, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G5, Canada. e-mail: flm2@ualberta.ca; Web site: http://flm.educ.ualberta.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Creative Works
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A