ERIC Number: EJ1196115
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Oct
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1072-0839
EISSN: N/A
Gerrymandering: When Equivalent Is Not Equal!
Safi, Farshid; Bush, Sarah B.; Desai, Siddhi
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, v24 n2 p82-89 Oct 2018
In this article, the authors engage middle-grades students in a series of tasks to develop the mathematical idea of equal versus equivalent, culminating in a gerrymandering task with social, political, economic, and educational implications. The primary mathematical goals of this exploration were to involve students in solving real-world problems involving area and surface area of objects that are composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, and polygons. Students were to find the area of these shapes by composing or decomposing more complex shapes. Several of the mathematical practices are also addressed, such as model with mathematics, construct viable arguments, and critique the reasoning of others. The authors' exploration consists of the following series of tasks: (1) The Music Concert Task--sets the stage for the idea of equivalent but not equal; (2) The Dragon Task--explores equivalent areas, which will later connect to the context of redrawing voting districts; (3) The Island Inheritance Task--explores the realities of differing values and regions for seemingly equal areas; and (4) The Gerrymandering Task: Constructing Districts--allows for the drawing of regions to be manipulated to achieve specific predetermined goals.
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Middle School Students, Mathematical Concepts, Concept Formation, Problem Solving, Relevance (Education), Mathematics Skills, Political Issues, Social Problems, Citizenship Education
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-9840; Fax: 703-476-2570; e-mail: NCTM@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/mathematics-teaching-in-the-middle-school/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Tests/Questionnaires; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A