Transcript Native American Mathematics Integrative Lesson

Native American Mathematics
Integrative Lesson
Pre Contact Native American
Shelters
Author: Roberto Wheaton
NSF Funded Project
Award # DUE-0341346
Session Goals
• Develop and understanding of geometric shapes used in Precontact Native American shelters.
• Appreciate how non traditional math was used different
cultures
• Suggest ways Native Americans used non traditional math
in shelter construction
• Actively engage students to collaborate and apply math
content.
• Plan, design and construct a Native American shelter
• Calculate the volume and surface area of a shelter.
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Narrative
Pre-contact Native American time dates back
more than 500 years ago when Native
Americans lived undisturbed from the outside
world.
Like other aboriginal cultures Native
Americans developed shelters utilizing
geometric shapes and forms without
traditional mathematics.
Warm Up Activity
• Take a few minutes to think about the type of
shelter Pre-contact Native American’s would
live in different cultural regions.
• Discuss with your team
• Draw the shelter shapes for each region.
• Present the shelter shape-designs choose for
the class.
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Pre Contact Cultural Regions
Draw the shelter shape for each cultural region
Plains (Montana, Wyoming,
North-South Dakota)
Plateau (Oregon, Washington,
Idaho)
Arctic (Alaska, Canada)
Northwest Coast ( British
Columbia, Wash. Coast)
Answers to Warm up Activity
Plains and Plateau Tipi
Arctic
Northwest Plank House
Earth lodge
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Pre Contact Housing Types
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Tipi Background
• The tipi is the most common temporary housing
used by the Plains, Plateau and Great Basin
people. A tipi is conical shaped with 8-16 poles
tied together at one end and stood up to form a
frame. Traditional coverings consisted of 8-20
buffalo or deer hides sewn together then
wrapped around the poles and laced together in
front. An opening on the top was left to allow
smoke to escape.
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Tipi Construction Activity
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You will work in table teams to:
Plan
Design
Build
Calculate volume and surface area
Reflect on mathematics Native American’s
would have used in tipi construction.
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Materials
•
Design using the following materials
• 8-10 bamboo skewers (poles)
• Tan Construction paper (bison or deer
hides)
• 12 inches yarn (leather)
• Scissors, ruler, hole punch
• Clay (ground to hold poles (skewers)
in place.
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Tipi Construction Frame
South
East
North
1. Decide on the
diameter for your
tipi base.
2. The poles should
be placed in the
coordinate
positions North,
South, West and
East. The door
should face East.
3. Lay your four poles
flat and wrap some
yarn around the
end leaving some
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extra pole length.
Tipi
Covering
Bison and deer hides were sewn together for
traditional tipi coverings. Your task is to
come up with a template to cover this conical
shape using tan construction paper.
What information is needed to determine the
shape needed to cover the tipi?
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Tipi Math Construction
Worksheet
Record your calculations and definitions in the boxes below:
Math Calculations
Operational Definitions
Volume
Surface Area
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Do Now Questions
1. What type of math is required to
construct a tipi?
2. Is there a relationship between the
diameter and tipi pole height? Explain
4. How do you think the Native
Americans identified coordinates for
direction.
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Additional Research
• Research and compare and contrast
North American Pre contact shelter with
another continent (Africa, S. America,
Asia)
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