For me, trying to understand a new concept, such as ethno-mathematics, can be difficult if there are no comparisons or examples to look at which can help to develop a new understanding and learning experience.
Already, I think the concept of ethno-mathematics is a fascinating subject and even more so when researching through different examples of how culture can be integrated within the mathematics classroom. I found myself thinking, wow, that example is obviously maths and culture oriented, but I never thought of the two together, and now it makes a bit more sense.
Japanese origami is an example of how mathematics joins in with culture. Origami is traditional paper folding for Japanese people and many shapes can be created within this. Origami therefore links to mathematics because in order to achieve a very structured shape with a coloured piece of paper, you need to know how to split the paper up into correct lines, triangles, angles and measurements to create the desired shape. ‘Origami investigates patterns, ratio’s and also symmetry and can help with developing geometrical reasoning; (Grandi 2016).
Another example which could be quite relatable for a lot of people, is the link between culture and mathematics in music!
‘Music from different cultures can be mathematically analysed via examining patterns, rhythms, chord progressions, audio frequencies and melodies’ (Brandt & Chernoff 2015).
Watch the below video for an example of how maths is linked to music, and then imagine all the different types of cultures in the world and how those cultures have their own sounds and music. Spanish music is fast moving with high frequency sounds, compared to Australian Aboriginal music which uses low, deep sounds from a didgeridoo, with the occasional high pitch noise to imitate an animal. It really is interesting to picture the sounds of different cultures, being so unique and diverse, and then relating those patterns to mathematics to see how much they differ. I think an activity like this within the maths classroom would be really engaging and enjoyable for students, and they’d be able to make the link between the real world, different cultures and mathematics all in one!
Ethnomathematics 