Section 2

Math in Daily Life

We are constantly using math in daily life. Regardless of how we felt about math in school, we use it all the time. Often we are unaware of the math we use. This section will help tutors to identify the situations where they use math daily and the skills involved. They will also discuss a definition for numeracy.

Activity A

Use of math

Tutors may not at first be able to identify the different situations where they use math. You may need to give a few prompts to help them look beyond the box. Even deciding which gas station and how much gas to put in our tank is a math situation.

Variation

For the individual activity, you could choose to focus attention on a particular type of activity over the past 24 hours, such as getting from home to another place or eating.


Reflection

Materials and equipment

Flip chart and markers

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

  1. Have tutors write down when and how they used math in the past week. For example, they may have followed a recipe.
  2. Have tutors share their math situations. Write the situations on the flip chart.
    (Note: save this list of situations to use in a later activity.)
  3. Ask tutors to review the list and describe the math skills they needed for each situation. For example, if they followed a recipe, they probably used fractions, measuring, calculating and estimating.

Activity B

Numeracy

You may realize by now that numeracy, like literacy, can be defined in many ways. Allow tutors an opportunity to explore the word through an art form.

Artistic expression, discussion, use of handout

Materials and equipment

Handout 9.1: Thirteen Ways to Renew Your Relationship with Math
Playdough, Plasticine, markers, stickers, magazines, pipe cleaners and other craft items
Scissors, glue, paper