Large number estimation as a vehicle to promote mathematical modelling

This article presents a teaching experiment study in which year 2 students compare city and town based on population estimates. The activities are presented to them as Fermi problems and require an analysis of the reality that allows the identification of sub-problems that the students can face. The...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor: Albarracín Gordo, Lluís|||0000-0002-1387-5573
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:298812
Acesso em linha:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/298812
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Mathematics
Mathematical modelling
Estimation
Fermi problems
Primary school
Descrição
Resumo:This article presents a teaching experiment study in which year 2 students compare city and town based on population estimates. The activities are presented to them as Fermi problems and require an analysis of the reality that allows the identification of sub-problems that the students can face. The students' products are analysed from the perspective of mathematical modelling and it is observed that the students develop their own mathematical methods to make the required estimates. Learning opportunities are identified when students require concepts and procedures that have not yet been worked on. The results show that estimation acts as a facilitator for the generation of mathematical models that allow students to connect their real-world knowledge with new mathematical learnings. In the conclusions, the implications of the use of Fermi problem sequences to initiate mathematical modelling and connecting mathematical and extra-mathematical knowledge about social problems in the first years of Primary Education are discussed.