My reflection on group Math History project

Our assignment group was responsible for presenting Ahmes' loaf sharing problem, which was a problem created for entertainment purposes in ancient Egypt. It had two conditions: 1) 100 loaves for 5 men, with the allocations being an arithmetic progression, and 2) 1/7 of the 3 largest portions combined equals the 2 smallest portions combined. For the presentation, we discussed the context leading up to the problem, organized a toy example activity, discussed our modern and ancient solutions, and proposed an alternative strategy as our extension.

Click here to access the presentation slides

Pictured: Ahmes' loaf sharing problem in the style of an ancient Egyptian mural

For the background, Raymond was responsible for looking into the ancient Egyptian mathematical developments that were necessary for the solving of this problem and presenting the problem description to the class. As for Zain, he was responsible for researching and presenting the solution that would've been possible with ancient Egyptian mathematics, as well as coming up with the extension which was a way to solve the problem by combining our understanding of linear systems with the ancient Egyptian strategy of false position. Finally, Carson was responsible for generating the toy example numbers, and writing and presenting the modern solution as well as linking it to the modern BC mathematics curriculum. He was also in charge of the artistic direction, which includes the artistic interpretation of the problem and the incredibly funny joke at the start of the presentation. All three members were involved in facilitating the toy example activity.

Working through this project, I forgot how introduction of fraction messed with student's understanding of math. Being the researcher on this problem, it was eye-opening to see that fraction existed even back in days. Specifically, unit fractions can be expressed using the regular numeral system and special fractions have dedicated symbols. In my classroom, it would be beneficial to introduce the math history of Egyptian fractions and loaf problems. Students can engage in word problems to help them review and think about how fractions can be applied in the context of bread.

Another valuable lesson I am taking away from this presentation is the extension part. It is easy to get lost discussing problems within the math cohort amongst peers who think alike. At the same time, it is also easy to forget about what challenges my prospective students may face when learning Math. As an educator, I should be more considerate to every problem I wish to present in class. Mixed proficiency is a reality in my classroom, being more cognizant of multiple solutions for students at different level can be effective in learning.

Comments

  1. Susan GerofskyNovember 3, 2024 at 10:29 PM

    A good commentary and an excellent project! Thank you Raymond

    ReplyDelete

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