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Decoding Vocabulary in Mathematics: Don’t Become a Victim!

Decoding Vocabulary in Mathematics: Don’t Become a Victim!. Math. Vocabulary. Does math vocabulary take you hostage?. Are your students robbed of knowledge and understanding because of math vocabulary?. Math. Vocabulary. Don’t Become a. VICTIM. A Quick Review….

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Decoding Vocabulary in Mathematics: Don’t Become a Victim!

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  1. Decoding Vocabulary in Mathematics:Don’t Become a Victim!

  2. Math Vocabulary Does math vocabulary take you hostage?

  3. Are your students robbed of knowledge and understanding because of math vocabulary? Math Vocabulary

  4. Don’t Become a VICTIM

  5. A Quick Review… • What is the definition of a whole number? • What is the definition of an even number? • What is the definition of an odd number?

  6. A Hostage Situation… One student answered that 6 and 10 were odd numbers. Why?

  7. When the student was asked to explain odd numbers he replied, “Those whole numbers are not multiples of two.” What he meant by “whole numbers”: 6, 8, 9, 10 and maybe 3 6, 9, and 10 were odd because the number of “holes” was not a multiple of two

  8. A Math Vocabulary VICTIM

  9. A Hostage Situation… Power

  10. What does it mean in everyday language? What does it mean in mathematical language? A Hostage Situation…Power

  11. A Hostage Situation… Mean

  12. What does it mean in everyday language? What does it mean in mathematical language? A Hostage Situation…Mean MEAN

  13. How Could These Words Hold You Hostage? • Odd • Difference • Similar • Product • Base • Fact • Range • Plane • Regular • Variable • Pi • Radical

  14. The Most Victimizing of All… a of

  15. Show that a number divisible by 6 is even. We are not asking for a specific example, but rather any number divisible by 6 is even. Three and a fourth We really mean three and one fourth

  16. Take the area of a triangle. We mean the inside of the triangle The square of the hypotenuse We mean the area of the square that can be constructed on the hypotenuse

  17. A Four Case Scenario…

  18. The Case Of Very Similar Meaning Case 1 • Some words mean nearly the same thing in “English” vocabulary and “math” vocabulary • Ex: Area, Origin

  19. The Case Of Almost Similar Meaning Case 2 • Some words from “English” vocabulary gives hints or roots to understand their meaning as “math” vocabulary • Ex: Combination, Quadrant

  20. The Case Of the Wildly Different Meaning Case 3 • Some words from “English” vocabulary give no meaning to the same word in “math” vocabulary • In fact, these words often lead to great confusion • Ex: Volume, Radical, Similar, Plane

  21. The Case Of the Multiple Mathematical Meanings Case 4 • Some words in math have two distinct mathematical meanings • Ex: square, range, cube

  22. So, What Can We Do To Help Our Students Understand Math Vocabulary?

  23. Would Having Students Put Vocabulary Into Organizers Lessen Confusion?

  24. What Should We Be Careful NOT To Do? In an effort to assist students with vocabulary teachers try to make the math easier… • Numerator and Denominator become “Top” and “Bottom” • Fractions become “over” • Division becomes “cancel” • Algebra terms are “moved” • Simplify becomes “reduce” Contents of this slide adapted with permission from Phil Sanderson

  25. 2x + 1 2x + 2 2x + 1 2x + 2 = ? = 1 2 Why NOT to use “Cancel”

  26. 4(x + 1) = 8 4x + 4 = 8 4x = 4 x = 1 Given Why NOT to use “Move” An Algebraic Proof Distributive Property Subtraction Property of Equality ?? The “Move” Property ?? Division Property of Equality ?? The “Move” Property ??

  27. What Other Words Have You Heard Teachers Use To Make the Math “Friendlier?” How Does That Affect the Math Content?

  28. The Result… • Students learn tricks rather than understanding the math • This is fostered by incorrect vocabulary VICTIM

  29. Make vocabulary a conscious of your planning and instruction. VICTIM Don’t become a

  30. Decoding Vocabulary in Mathematics:Don’t Become a Victim! Presented by: The College of William and Mary Tidewater Team tidewaterteam@wm.edu

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