Geared towards Cultural Roots of Mathematics - This is getting more interesting

The more I research about Ethnomathematics, and the Cultural roots and histories of Mathematics, it is getting more and more fascinating. As teachers, we always enjoy doing new activities with students and crave to bring that connection for students with our lessons. Some of my posts can be used as a topic for research to design activities for your classroom. 

While I was researching the Cultural History of Mathematics, I came across this wonderful book named - Math is a Verb

in which the author explores eleven world cultures and applications of mathematics presented via classroom activities.

Barta et al., (2014) identified the following cultures and traditions as related to mathematics and is explained in detail in each of the chapters:

1. Conrow Hair Braiding - Intersection of mathematics and culture found in communities in Africa, Jamaica, and the United States. This cultural practice uses data patterns, Cartesian coordinates, geometric transformations and sequence, iteration and thus people who practice Conrow Hair Braiding designs and investigates mathematical concepts. 
2. Math of the Maya - People of Mayan Culture in Guatemalan Highlands, mainly the farmers uses mathematical calculations to determine planting needs and harvesting results to predict their ability to grow enough corn to sustain themselves and their families.
   
   
   
3. The Streets of Ouro Preto - In the 300 year old city of Ouro Pero in Brazil, the Brazilian community can investigate maths along the streets through architecture, music, and many more.
4. Navajo Beading and Weaving Patterns - The American native cultures of Southwest creates beadwork's and rug weavings by using patterns, measurements, geometry, symmetry and Cartesian grid.
5. Adinkra Symbols- Skilled artists in the African Country go Ghana stamps symbols that conveys traditions ideas and beliefs, which explores concepts in geometry, measurements and so on. 
6. The Game of Klappenspiel- The game of chance practiced in German schools explores mathematical operations, probabilities and more.
7. Graffiti Shapes and Styles- There are Graffiti everywhere we go, and there are connections between mathematics and Graffiti, where it includes Cartesian mapping, geometry, angles and measurement, and many more.
8. Stick Charts and Woven Fonds- Cultures from Hawaaii and other islands of South Pacific practices developing woven palm fronds from indigenous/native plants in the region. 
9. Rangolee and Kolam Folk Art Designs- Rangolee and Kolam art are practiced in India on a daily basis and is a part of the daily activities of women. The design practices or teaches us isometric, radial, and rectangular dot matrices, and looks at fractions geometry, and algebra. 

References:

1. Barta, J., Eglash, R., & Barkley, C. A. (2014). Math is a verb : activities and lessons from cultures around the world. The National Council Of Teachers Of Mathematics, Inc.