What Does it Take to Get Ichiro and Hanako Excited About Mathematics?

Jin Akiyama

Research Institute for Math Education

Tokyo University of Science

ja@jin-akiyama.com

    What does it take to appreciate a musical piece? Most people must hear the music played. And if it is played by a full orchestra, then perhaps there will be excitement. What does it take to appreciate a recipe? The dish must be prepared and tasted. If it is beautifully presented and taken in the ambiance of a great restaurant, then maybe there will be excitement. The senses must be engaged. It is the same with mathematics. A mathematical concept can be exciting if it can be represented physically in a model that can be seen, manipulated, and, if possible, heard.
In this talk, we discuss mathematical models that can be used to teach standard mathematics in a non-standard way. These models can be brought into the mathematics classroom so students can work with them, experiment, discover, and gain a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. The models can be used to demonstrate the following:
1. Area and Volume
2. Pytagorean Theorem
3. Sum of Integers
4. Applications of Conic Sections
5. Figures with constant width
6. Error Correcting Code
7. Math Magic