Resources to support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures cross-curriculum priority:
The following section provides resources to support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures cross-curriculum priority in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. The resources are organised by content strand and adaptable to multiple year levels. Note: Some resources are intended for teachers’ background information and may not be suitable for use with students in the classroom without significant prior support or scaffolding. It is recommended that when using these resources connections are made and relationships are built with local Aboriginal communities and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Contend strand: Number and Algebra:
Culture and mathematics, available on the QSA website, unpacks Maths as Storytelling (MAST) which is a pedagogical approach that explores new ways of teaching algebra to students who are underachieving. The approach focuses on stories and explores how symbols and their meanings can communicate these stories. www.qsa.qld.edu.au/3035.html > Resources > Culture and mathematics
Traditional Aboriginal society in Western Australia did not use the decimal (base 10) “two hand” number system. Instead, it used a base five or “one hand” number system. The GECKOS website provides an explanation of how to use the “one hand” number system. geckos.ceo.wa.edu.au/secondary/mathematics/Pages/number.aspx
The 2010 Australian Council for Educational Research Conference focused on teaching Mathematics. The session titled Using mental representations of space when words are unavailable: Studies of enumeration and arithmetic in Indigenous Australia describes the nature and use of spatial strategies in an addition task, comparing children who speak only languages in which counting words are not available with children who were raised speaking English. Speakers of Warlpiri and Anindilyakwa at two remote sites in the Northern Territory were tested. These children used spatial strategies extensively. English-speaking children used spatial strategies very infrequently, but relied on an enumeration strategy supported by counting words to do the addition task. research.acer.edu.au/research_conference/RC2010/17august/3/
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) Inc. has established a four-year project called Make it count to develop an evidence base of practices that improve Indigenous students’ learning in Mathematics and numeracy. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au Make it count resources include interactive websites, videos, conference presentations and links and papers about embedding Indigenous perspectives and improving teaching and learning outcomes. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au/Resources/Indigenous-education
Content strand Measurement and Geometry:
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Indigenous weather knowledge webpages offer information about Indigenous Australian seasonal calendars based on the local sequence of natural events. www.bom.gov.au/iwk/
The QSA provides posters that show key elements of the changing seasons in the Torres Strait.
www.qsa.qld.edu.au/3035.html > Readings > Torres Strait Islander seasonal calendar.
The Astronomical Society of South Australia website provides information and activities about how Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples apply their knowledge of stars, constellations and the moon to tell time. www.assa.org.au/nacaa > Astronomy and Australian Indigenous People.
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) Inc. has established a four-year project called Make it count to develop an evidence base of practices that improve Indigenous students’ learning in Mathematics and numeracy. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au
Make it count resources include interactive websites, videos, conference presentations and links and papers about embedding Indigenous perspectives and improving teaching and learning outcomes. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au/Resources/Indigenous-education
8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning is a framework involving narrativedriven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled/scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community. This webpage gives an outline of lessons about shapes, symbols and patterns. 8ways.wikispaces.com/Basic+maths+remedial
Content strand Statistics and Probability:
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) Inc. has established a four-year project called Make it count to develop an evidence base of practices that improve Indigenous students’ learning in Mathematics and numeracy. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au Make it count resources include interactive websites, videos, conference presentations and links and papers about embedding Indigenous perspectives and improving teaching and learning outcomes. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au/Resources/Indigenous-education
A paper titled The Mathematics of Indigenous Card Games: Implications for Mathematics Teaching was presented at the 27th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (2004). It explores the mathematical nature of two probability card games played by Indigenous children and explores the potential of these games to foster mathematical understandings. www.merga.net.au/node/38?year=2004 > Research papers.
The following section provides resources to support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures cross-curriculum priority in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. The resources are organised by content strand and adaptable to multiple year levels. Note: Some resources are intended for teachers’ background information and may not be suitable for use with students in the classroom without significant prior support or scaffolding. It is recommended that when using these resources connections are made and relationships are built with local Aboriginal communities and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Contend strand: Number and Algebra:
Culture and mathematics, available on the QSA website, unpacks Maths as Storytelling (MAST) which is a pedagogical approach that explores new ways of teaching algebra to students who are underachieving. The approach focuses on stories and explores how symbols and their meanings can communicate these stories. www.qsa.qld.edu.au/3035.html > Resources > Culture and mathematics
Traditional Aboriginal society in Western Australia did not use the decimal (base 10) “two hand” number system. Instead, it used a base five or “one hand” number system. The GECKOS website provides an explanation of how to use the “one hand” number system. geckos.ceo.wa.edu.au/secondary/mathematics/Pages/number.aspx
The 2010 Australian Council for Educational Research Conference focused on teaching Mathematics. The session titled Using mental representations of space when words are unavailable: Studies of enumeration and arithmetic in Indigenous Australia describes the nature and use of spatial strategies in an addition task, comparing children who speak only languages in which counting words are not available with children who were raised speaking English. Speakers of Warlpiri and Anindilyakwa at two remote sites in the Northern Territory were tested. These children used spatial strategies extensively. English-speaking children used spatial strategies very infrequently, but relied on an enumeration strategy supported by counting words to do the addition task. research.acer.edu.au/research_conference/RC2010/17august/3/
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) Inc. has established a four-year project called Make it count to develop an evidence base of practices that improve Indigenous students’ learning in Mathematics and numeracy. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au Make it count resources include interactive websites, videos, conference presentations and links and papers about embedding Indigenous perspectives and improving teaching and learning outcomes. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au/Resources/Indigenous-education
Content strand Measurement and Geometry:
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Indigenous weather knowledge webpages offer information about Indigenous Australian seasonal calendars based on the local sequence of natural events. www.bom.gov.au/iwk/
The QSA provides posters that show key elements of the changing seasons in the Torres Strait.
www.qsa.qld.edu.au/3035.html > Readings > Torres Strait Islander seasonal calendar.
The Astronomical Society of South Australia website provides information and activities about how Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples apply their knowledge of stars, constellations and the moon to tell time. www.assa.org.au/nacaa > Astronomy and Australian Indigenous People.
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) Inc. has established a four-year project called Make it count to develop an evidence base of practices that improve Indigenous students’ learning in Mathematics and numeracy. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au
Make it count resources include interactive websites, videos, conference presentations and links and papers about embedding Indigenous perspectives and improving teaching and learning outcomes. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au/Resources/Indigenous-education
8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning is a framework involving narrativedriven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled/scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community. This webpage gives an outline of lessons about shapes, symbols and patterns. 8ways.wikispaces.com/Basic+maths+remedial
Content strand Statistics and Probability:
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) Inc. has established a four-year project called Make it count to develop an evidence base of practices that improve Indigenous students’ learning in Mathematics and numeracy. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au Make it count resources include interactive websites, videos, conference presentations and links and papers about embedding Indigenous perspectives and improving teaching and learning outcomes. makeitcount.aamt.edu.au/Resources/Indigenous-education
A paper titled The Mathematics of Indigenous Card Games: Implications for Mathematics Teaching was presented at the 27th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (2004). It explores the mathematical nature of two probability card games played by Indigenous children and explores the potential of these games to foster mathematical understandings. www.merga.net.au/node/38?year=2004 > Research papers.