Celebrating our mathematical thinking

Ryan and Ian

JOY OF X presents MATH SURPRISE - a research performance

The typical response to "What did you learn in math today?" might be "I don't know" or "Nothing." We've been working to change this by:

  • engaging children with math worth talking about, and
  • helping them develop skills for telling good math stories

The song below is from the mathematical thinking of grade 3 students, based on math dialogues they scripted to share with family and friends.

This research performance is part of a SSHRC-funded research project by George Gadanidis (UWO), Marcelo Borba (UNESP, Brazil), Susan Gerofsky (UBC), Cornelia Hoogland (UWO), and Janette Hughes (UOIT).

Hi Stella!
What did you learn
in math today?

It’s a surprise!!
Please tell me.
OK.

I learned that even numbers
They hide in a rectangle.
Even numbers hide in a rectangle

CHORUS
Evens hide
They play hide-and-seek
Take a look or take a peek
Bet you didn’t know that even numbers
Hide in a rectangle
Even numbers hide in a rectangle

 

 

 

Take a piece,
Hey it’s a 2.
Take some more,
Hey a 4.
Take another,
Hey it's 6,
And another
Hey 8,
And another
Hey 10, good job.

CHORUS
Evens hide
They play hide-and-seek
Take a look or take a peek
Bet you didn’t know that even numbers
Hide in a rectangle
Even numbers hide in a rectangle