Math Ideas - Elementary
Background - What is Aboriginal Math
In the primary curriculum there is reference to Bishop's cultural practices. The premise of this reference is that every culture in the world does math. Every culture counts, measures, locates, designs, plays and explains. When we take this deeper and think about culturally responsive math, we come to learn that in schools, math has been taught through a eurocentric lens. It is often devoid of culture. I highly recommend you watch a webinar by Nelson that completely unpacks this. In it, we learn that the way in which math has been taught in schools has disengaged learners, particularly students who are Indigenous. Culturally responsive math strives to change this. When we bring cultural activities in the classroom in a way that is meaningful, it does several things. First it demonstrates a respect for the culture. It shows that the teacher selected an activity that highlights a culture because the teacher values it. It demonstrates too, that the teacher is willing to take a risk and learn something about a culture and learn about it together with the students. Most importantly, it gives students community and family members an opportunity to bring their knowledge into the classroom. You will see examples of this in the lessons below.
This is a very brief summary of culturally responsive math. To view a more length summary, I suggest you watch the culturally responsive math video. You will need to register to view it but it is free. Click here to get to the Nelson page and then scroll down to see Culturally Responsive Math Webinar Series. It is an excellent video and my take away is that by including authentic cultural activities that relate to mathematics gives all students an opportunity to learn and thrive.
In the primary curriculum there is reference to Bishop's cultural practices. The premise of this reference is that every culture in the world does math. Every culture counts, measures, locates, designs, plays and explains. When we take this deeper and think about culturally responsive math, we come to learn that in schools, math has been taught through a eurocentric lens. It is often devoid of culture. I highly recommend you watch a webinar by Nelson that completely unpacks this. In it, we learn that the way in which math has been taught in schools has disengaged learners, particularly students who are Indigenous. Culturally responsive math strives to change this. When we bring cultural activities in the classroom in a way that is meaningful, it does several things. First it demonstrates a respect for the culture. It shows that the teacher selected an activity that highlights a culture because the teacher values it. It demonstrates too, that the teacher is willing to take a risk and learn something about a culture and learn about it together with the students. Most importantly, it gives students community and family members an opportunity to bring their knowledge into the classroom. You will see examples of this in the lessons below.
This is a very brief summary of culturally responsive math. To view a more length summary, I suggest you watch the culturally responsive math video. You will need to register to view it but it is free. Click here to get to the Nelson page and then scroll down to see Culturally Responsive Math Webinar Series. It is an excellent video and my take away is that by including authentic cultural activities that relate to mathematics gives all students an opportunity to learn and thrive.
Suggested Activity 1: Beading
Beading as a way of exploring patterning (BI Repeating elements in patterns can be identified)
Show examples of beaded regalia or samples of beaded necklaces, or earrings. CBC Kids has an excellent article that is kid friendly that explains what regalia is: click here for article. If you do not have samples of beaded items, use photos. Use the photos in this article. Ask students to find the math in the regalia. What do the see? (colours, different kinds of beads). What math do you see? (patterns, geometric shapes).
Have students think about how place relates to resources. For example, the materials used to make beads in BC (pre-contact) would be very different than the materials used by First Nations people in Saskatchewan. What natural materials could students use to make their own beads today? Using beads as a manipulative is a natural fit but let students know WHY you are opting to use beads. See the books below to get some context of the significance of beading.
Indigenous books to support beading
Beading Lesson plans:
Links that support beading:
Suggested Activity 2: Weaving
Weaving as a way of exploring patterning (BI: Objects have attributes that can be described, measured, and compare).
Many of you may have attended workshops offered by our department that explore weaving. There is so much math in weaving. Students can explore patterns, geometric shapes, measuring using standard and non standard units, and using graphs/tables for planning and designing. Weaving is a cross curricular activity too. Students can explore the connection to pattern designs to land and place. Students can explore stories embedded in weaving samples. Looking at the process of learning how to harvest fibres, dyeing and spinning fibres connects to ADST. The options are limitless.
Indigenous books to support weaving
Additional links related to weaving
Weaving Videos - how to make a quarter bag
This technique was taught to me by Angie Dawson from Squamish Nation. She has shared this lesson many times at the annual UBC Indigenous Math Conference. If you use these videos, please acknowledge her for her knowledge and teachings. This is a very important protocol. Always acknowledge where you got the knowledge from and ensure you have permission to share the teachings, The Math First Peoples (2020) has links to videos on how to make these bags but they have been removed. I made these to replace them.
Warping the loom - video 1. To view the remainder of the videos, please subscribe to Nadine McSpadden's YouTube channel.
Suggested Activity 3: Learning to Count in an Indigenous language
Counting to 10 in an Indigenous Languages
Indigenous Books related to counting
Other suggested Activities
These are just a few ideas. There are so many.
Beading as a way of exploring patterning (BI Repeating elements in patterns can be identified)
Show examples of beaded regalia or samples of beaded necklaces, or earrings. CBC Kids has an excellent article that is kid friendly that explains what regalia is: click here for article. If you do not have samples of beaded items, use photos. Use the photos in this article. Ask students to find the math in the regalia. What do the see? (colours, different kinds of beads). What math do you see? (patterns, geometric shapes).
Have students think about how place relates to resources. For example, the materials used to make beads in BC (pre-contact) would be very different than the materials used by First Nations people in Saskatchewan. What natural materials could students use to make their own beads today? Using beads as a manipulative is a natural fit but let students know WHY you are opting to use beads. See the books below to get some context of the significance of beading.
Indigenous books to support beading
- We Can Bead - Mathology Little Book - N. McSpadden
- I Can Bead - Metis series - Strong Readers - LM Dorean
- Maria Beads a Flower - Wilford Burton
- I Spy Flower Beadwork - Wilford Burton
- Brilliant Beadwork - Celebrate Canada series
- Wâpikwaniy : a beginner's guide to Métis floral beadwork
Beading Lesson plans:
- Exploring Patterns through Beading - three lessons. Another example that I have model taught. This lesson was for a grade K-3 lesson but I hope you see how easily it is to adapt. It includes a game called Waltes.
- Exploring Patterns, symmetry through beading and ELA. Story related to this lesson plan is My Heart Fills With Happiness. Here is another sample lesson using My Heart Fills will Happiness created by a Delta School District Teacher. (BI: Addition and subtraction with numbers to 10 can be modelled concretely, pictorially, and symbolically to develop computational fluency.)
- Click here to download a copy of a lesson idea related to My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Grey Smith.
- Make a Beaded flower using seed beads and beading wire: Download the pattern by clicking here.
- Exploring Patterns through Coast Salish Art - my experience model teaching a lesson with 2 grade two classes. This is a very detailed lesson plan and I would LOVE your feedback.
- Make your own paper beads!
Links that support beading:
Suggested Activity 2: Weaving
Weaving as a way of exploring patterning (BI: Objects have attributes that can be described, measured, and compare).
Many of you may have attended workshops offered by our department that explore weaving. There is so much math in weaving. Students can explore patterns, geometric shapes, measuring using standard and non standard units, and using graphs/tables for planning and designing. Weaving is a cross curricular activity too. Students can explore the connection to pattern designs to land and place. Students can explore stories embedded in weaving samples. Looking at the process of learning how to harvest fibres, dyeing and spinning fibres connects to ADST. The options are limitless.
Indigenous books to support weaving
- Annie and the Old One
- Salish Blankets : Robes of Protection and Transformation, Symbols of Wealth (Teacher reference)
- My Metis Sash
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Additional links related to weaving
- Look at Coast Salish weaving. Research Coast Salish weaving. Who were the weavers? What materials did they use? How were the blankets used? What other Aboriginal communities made blankets. How are they the same/different
- Lessons from School District 71 all related to weaving
Weaving Videos - how to make a quarter bag
This technique was taught to me by Angie Dawson from Squamish Nation. She has shared this lesson many times at the annual UBC Indigenous Math Conference. If you use these videos, please acknowledge her for her knowledge and teachings. This is a very important protocol. Always acknowledge where you got the knowledge from and ensure you have permission to share the teachings, The Math First Peoples (2020) has links to videos on how to make these bags but they have been removed. I made these to replace them.
Warping the loom - video 1. To view the remainder of the videos, please subscribe to Nadine McSpadden's YouTube channel.
Suggested Activity 3: Learning to Count in an Indigenous language
Counting to 10 in an Indigenous Languages
- Kindergarden/grade 1 "Counting to 10 in More than One Language"
- Numbers in Halkomelem - written
- Count to ten in Secoten - Language of the Semiahmoo, From First Voices website
- Count to ten in Halq'eméylem - Language of the Stol:o (19 FN communities in the Fraser Valley)
Indigenous Books related to counting
- Counting In Carrier
- Let's Count Moons by Fern Gabriel - Link to video
- Mawkiljemk Mi'kmawiktuk = Counting in Mi'kmaw
- Pow wow Counting in Cree
- We All Count - counting in English and Ojibway.
- We All Count - a book of Cree numbers
- Discovering Numbers - English French and Cree
- From First Voices
Other suggested Activities
- Use Indigenous stamps to allow students to make patterns (ab/aabb/abba etc). Sort stamps into category/attribute (winged, two legged, four legged). You can order stamps through Strongnations.com
- Have materials for soft start stations that reflect First Nation culture. Use picture cards from Strong Nations (2 legged, 4 legged). Sort by attribute (BI: Objects have attributes that can be described, measured, and compared) . Explicit connection is understanding the relationship FN people have with animals. Animals are prominent in First Nation stories and in art. Animals appear on crests and on poles.
- Have a beading station using natural beads (shells, stone beads, bone beads, wood beads, seed beads). (BI: Repeating elements in patterns can be identified.)
Have a weaving station for soft start using an Ikea weaving loom (BI Repeating elements in patterns can be identified.) - Use 3D printed math manipulatives (ovoid, crescent, circle, trigon) for sorting and making connections to FN art. See handout. Getting students to design a 3D model of various form line shapes not only relates to math but also to ADST. Having students design different sizes of the same shape relates to proportion/fractions).
- Cooking - have students make two kinds of bannock (baked and fried). (BI: Properties of objects and shapes can be described, measured, and compared using volume, area, perimeter, and angles).
- Have students dry berries using a food dehydrator (BI: Properties of objects and shapes can be described, measured, and compared using volume, area, perimeter, and angles).
- See the model longhouse our department loans. Have students draw a model of it calculating the area, perimeter. Have them draw it to different scales depending on the number of families that might have inhabited it.
- Lacrosse is an important game to First Nations peoples. This website shows the dimensions of two fields boys field and woman's field. (BI: look at area, perimeter) - compare size of fields. Bring in ISPARC and teach students about the history and game of lacrosse.
- Look at other games like Slahal (probability), Waltes (probability).
- Look at Coast Salish blankets and find the math in it. (See lesson plan below)
These are just a few ideas. There are so many.
Books to support math
**** New ***. FNESC has just released its brand new Math First Peoples Guide for elementary and secondary teachers. Click here to go to the download page.
luuwaay "Waadluxan Mathematical Adventures (available through ARC)
Gina 'Waadluxan Tluu The Everything Canoe (available through ARC)
Samples lessons from Mathematical Adventures:
Math in a Cultural Context: Lessons Learned from Yup'ik Eskimo Elders. Although these books are American resources, teachers could use them as references to generate ideas on how to embed Aboriginal perspectives and content into math.
All these modules and supporting stories are available to download! Click here to the download page.
Mathology Little Books: Click here to look at the Mathology Little Books with Indigenous content. There are numerous books with specific indigenous content in the Mathology series. These titles would not have been included in the cost share the district had a year or so ago. Titles include: We Can Bead, Let's Play Waltes, Acorns for Wilaiya, Goat Island. Aboriginal Learning has copies of the books and TR's if you wish to view them.
luuwaay "Waadluxan Mathematical Adventures (available through ARC)
Gina 'Waadluxan Tluu The Everything Canoe (available through ARC)
Samples lessons from Mathematical Adventures:
- Raven and the First Peoples: this problem is based on the Haida creation story. The Raven and the First Men in which Raven discovers the first Haida inside a clam shell on the beach. Math concepts: numbers to 20.
- Canoe Travelling.: There are many ways of travelling on Haida Gwaii. Look at travelling by car, by boat and school bus. Calculate the estimated time it would take to travel from one end of the island to the other using each mode of transportation.
- Berry Gathering: Your family is having a potlatch. About 220 people are coming. You will need about 250 g of berries per person. It takes about an hour to pick 1000g. How long will it take you to pick enough berries for all the potlatch guests?
Math in a Cultural Context: Lessons Learned from Yup'ik Eskimo Elders. Although these books are American resources, teachers could use them as references to generate ideas on how to embed Aboriginal perspectives and content into math.
- Building a Fish Rack: investigations into Proof, Properties, Perimeter and Area (Grade 6)
- Drying Salmon: journeys into Proportional and Pre-Algebraic Thinking (Grade 6/7)
- Designing Patterns: investigating shape and area (Grade 3-5)
- Picking Berries: investigating data collection, graphing and measuring
- Patterns and Parkas: exploring shapes and patterns and measurement
All these modules and supporting stories are available to download! Click here to the download page.
Mathology Little Books: Click here to look at the Mathology Little Books with Indigenous content. There are numerous books with specific indigenous content in the Mathology series. These titles would not have been included in the cost share the district had a year or so ago. Titles include: We Can Bead, Let's Play Waltes, Acorns for Wilaiya, Goat Island. Aboriginal Learning has copies of the books and TR's if you wish to view them.
Lesson plans shown at SD36 Aboriginal Learning Workshops
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- Click here to download some lessons related to planning a feast. Students make an invitation to invite their parents to school. They make bannock and follow the protocol of giving away the first thing they make at the feast. Students bead a heart. Titles include, "We Can Bead," My Heart Fills With Happiness and The Bannock book.
- Let's Play Waltes and We Can Bead lesson plans
- Primary Weaving Lesson Plans
- Intermediate Weaving Lesson Plans
- Looking at Expanding patterns - From UBC Indigenous Math Conference:
Hand out 1, Hand out 2, Hand out 3
Math Links with Indigenous Content
- Mayan Mathematics - this is a great website that provides a historical look at mathematics and attributes the concept of zero being introduced by the Mayan.
- Canoe Designs - for Haida Dugout Canoe and Salish Canoe.
- Show Me Your Math - connecting Indigenous ways of knowing and math concepts
- Integrating Aboriginal Culture with Mathematics K - 12 - document created by SD 70. This is an older resource but still has lots of really good ideas.
- Aboriginal Perspectives - great ideas for infusing math relating to videos. Includes lesson plans, powerpoints
- Some interesting lesson ideas to infuse Aboriginal content into math for grades 4-6
- Math games with Aboriginal Content
- Want to see an amazing unit on Bentwood Boxes from the Tlingit? click here!
- Birch Bark Biting - inquiry lessons for grades 4, 5 and 6
- Aboriginal Math Games
- Teaching Mathematics in Relationship with Indigenous Ways of Knowing - webinar video
- Look at the history of beading.
- Math Catcher - Small Number and the Big Tree Story - part of the Math Catcher Outreach Program - in the Squamish language
- Integrating Aboriginal Culture with Mathematics K - 12 - document created by SD 73. This is an older resource but still has lots of really good ideas.
- Raven Stealing the Sun - Exploring surface area and rectangular prisms.
