Sandra Dodd

Someone on my regional list brought this link saying it might be of
interest. It's about researchers who showed members of an Amazon
tribe (wait... they "tested them" with) pictures of shapes and asked
them which was was 'ugly' (meaning different, and they could've said
different), and showed them something else that mapped an area, with
shapes, and asked a question about which was different. So by that
test they're claiming the natives "know geometry."


My response is below.


========================
http://www.livescience.com/othernews/060119_amazon_math.html


That's interesting, and says more about the researchers than about
the native tribe.


What they did had to do with language and mapping, with
correspondence. Yet because there were shapes involved they wanted
to call it geometry.

I would have been more impressed if they had themselves figured out
in the tribe's language and culture how they use relationships and
angles.

If the study helps unschoolers and the promotion of natural learning
that's great, and it's interesting, but it's not a very good study as
math goes. <g>

Thanks for bringing that.

If anyone here wants more ideas about mathematical concepts in
natural ways, or if you have more things to add when you've looked,
here:
http://sandradodd.com/math

Be sure to follow the link to Pam Sorooshian's page.

Sandra

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