The task of each teacher is not only to give children knowledge, but also to instill love for their subject. Students take interesting lessons with pleasure, even when the subject is difficult to understand. Why is that? Probably because the teacher gives topics not only in the academic format of the lesson, but makes it more "lively", often involving the children themselves and their parents in its conduct.
This is largely facilitated by classes for which students independently prepare essays or other types of work. The fascinating topics of projects in mathematics, for example, can instill love for it even for those who do not understand it, and make learning in the classroom not a burden, but a pleasure.
Lesson in the project format
Fortunately, the days have passed when children went to school to listen, and teachers to talk. In the old academic methods of presenting material on the subject of shortcomings, there were more than advantages. Children were not involved in the lesson, but were “involuntary” students, even when they did not like the school subject.
That all changed when two American scientists, Kilpatrick and Dewey, suggested involving students in the learning process. This is easiest to do by inviting children to participate in a project that could be either an independent study or a joint work with parents or classmates. So the children became part of the learning process and from time to time took the place of a teacher.
This approach to teaching quickly found a response among teachers around the world, and Russian teachers were no exception. Thanks to entertaining topics, school subjects became more interesting to children, and they began to attend classes with pleasure.
This is especially noticeable in such a subject as mathematics. Topics of educational projects in this discipline made it closer and more understandable for those who did not understand it well.
Math Project Categories
Today, there are several types of projects in this subject, which differ in the following criteria:
1. According to the type of activity conducted by students, they are divided into: research; creation; informing; practice.
2. The scale of the project: mini-project; full-blown research.
3. By the number of participants: individual; doubles; group.
4. By duration: short-term; long lasting.
The topics of projects in mathematics can be offered by both the teacher and the student, choosing what is closer or more interesting to him in this discipline.
When to instill interest in mathematics
As a rule, children are taught to count and arithmetic from the age of 4-5 years. Since this scientific discipline is new for kids, they are happy to “absorb” the basics that they receive in a preschool. But even among them there are children who hardly master this subject. To interest the child, you should turn arithmetic lessons into a game.
It is easiest to do this, in terms of concepts in which the kids are well versed. This could be, for example, a mathematics project on the theme of fairy tales that children are well aware of.
In primary and secondary schools, the program in this subject is complicated with each academic year, and the themes of projects should be changed in proportion to it. It is important that they be interesting to schoolchildren, give them food for the mind and arouse the desire to learn more.
In addition, the very work on the topic of the project in mathematics teaches children to set the goal of the upcoming event, its development, the search for information and much that contributes to their self-education.
What math topics to use?
Since everything that exists in nature, and also created by man, obeys the laws of numbers, it will not be difficult to find an interesting topic for a school project. To help teachers, methodological materials have been developed that contain recommendations for such events, but above all, a list of topics is given. Of course, you can use your own best practices based on class performance, but it’s easier to work with ready-made information.
The topics of projects in mathematics are divided into classes, taking into account the knowledge that students have already received or are passing in the current school year. This approach allows schoolchildren to either consolidate the material they have learned or to look for additional information on the current curriculum.
Here are some of them:
1. Themes of projects in mathematics in elementary school:
- In a world of amazing numbers.
- Fun multiplication table.
- Time and calendar.
- Funny math problems.
- Magic numbers.
- Geometric shapes in nature and more.
2. For fifth graders, the following topics will be of interest:
- The occurrence of numbers.
- World percent.
- The number and fate of man.
- The kingdom of decimal fractions.
- Mathematics in art and music.
- Travel to the country of interest and many others.
3. Students in grades 6-7 will be interested in the topics:
- Interest and fractions.
- A fascinating world of proportions.
- The golden ratio as the height of perfection.
- Scale and its use.
- Great mathematicians.
- The mathematical version of the game "Mafia".
- Non-standard tasks and others.
If in junior and middle grades students are offered the topics of mini-projects in mathematics, which they can prepare individually (for example, “Natural numbers”, “Why can’t be divided by zero”), then high school students participate in works that are larger in terms of information and time training. Groups of students may be involved in them, in which each participant is allocated a specific area of ​​work for which they are personally responsible. This approach helps to unite children, teach them to be responsible for their part of the project and not let down their comrades.
Preschool education: the theme of "Tales"
From how kids are interested in mathematics in a preschool, it often depends on how well and with pleasure they will learn this subject at school. A math project on the subject of “Mathematical Tales” will help children love the exact sciences. It is important to know how and why such an event is held. The following recommendations will help in its implementation:
1. For whom the project: children and their parents.
2. Duration: short-term project for up to 1 month.
3. The purpose of the project: to help kids learn the basics of a complex school subject in a playful way and love it. To form an elementary idea of ​​this science in them.
4. The objective of the project: to create conditions for the development of mathematical abilities in children and the successful assimilation of new material. Develop the ability to count to 10 in sequential and reverse order. To teach kids to identify and name geometric shapes. To help children prepare for school, and teach parents to take part in their homework.
5. Recommendations: divide the project into several stages:
- To instruct parents to compose a mathematical fairy tale and arrange it together with the child.
- Read with your children a choice: “3 Bears”, “Flower-Seven-Flower”, “Twelve Months” or another mathematical tale.
- Puzzles for kids and read poems about numbers.
- Drawing or coloring numbers.
- Construct numbers from counting sticks .
- Game in "Mathematical Lotto" or "Tic-Tac-Toe."
6. The final stage: an exhibition of books made by parents with children, the distribution of mathematical prizes.
Such an event will create an impression among the kids that mathematics is an interesting and entertaining science, and working together will bring them closer together with their parents and teacher.
Math group in a preschool
It will be useful for children to take part in a long-term project on the theme of “Magic Mathematics”, held in the format of an additional circle. Once a week, children of the senior group learn in a playful way:
- The solution to entertaining tasks.
- Perception of shape and color and their comparison.
- The establishment of mathematical laws.
- Formation of concepts of number and quantity.
- Orientations in space, scale and diagrams.
- Understanding the meaning of time.
Participation in the project on the theme “Magic Mathematics” will not only prepare the kids for school, but also develop their love for this subject.
Recommendations for conducting a mathematical circle: each lesson should be conducted in an educational-game form. The teacher can diversify it with incentive prizes, which will cause a competitive spirit in children.
Math at school
It is very important that children go to school and do not lose their interest in this science. It depends on the teachers how often to conduct joint projects with students or give them topics for individual research.
The variety and number of topics allows you to create a schedule of activities that can be included both in the educational process, and as additional classes or circles. The following are a few examples of similar projects.
Meet the geniuses
As a rule, people admire other people's knowledge and abilities, especially if they themselves are not available. So the children will be interested in the project on the theme “The Greatest Mathematics”.
- The purpose of this event: to acquaint students with the greatest mathematical minds of the planet, because it is thanks to them that people use cars, fly airplanes, work on machines, use gadgets and other “smart” technology in their lives.
- Project recommendation: this topic can be used as an individual task by one student or the entire class can be involved. The second is preferable, since teamwork will unite students.
- The objective of the project: it can be either narrowly focused, for example, biographies and the contribution of exclusively Russian scientists to science, or it can cover the entire history of mathematics. In the latter case, the topic can be broken down by epoch from antiquity to the present and the entire class can be used to carry out the project.
As a result, students will learn who exactly is behind those tasks, equations and algorithms that they learn in mathematics lessons, and also learn how to independently select information and process it.
Why do you need math?
This question is asked by all children who are far from exact sciences. Indeed, it is often unclear why to study such complex subjects, if in life they are unlikely to be useful. The teacher’s task is to show the children that mathematics surrounds them everywhere and give them the task of preparing a project on the topic “Mathematics in Human Life”. This work can also be assigned to one student or divided into several subtopics and the entire class can be involved in its implementation.
- Project goal: To show students that numbers are an integral part of their life. They represent both the children themselves (height, weight, age, etc.), and the entire planet and the universe.
- The objective of the project: to instill respect for the scientific discipline, to expand students' understanding about it.
- Performers: individual or group project.
- Recommendations for the implementation of the task: in preparation for the event, it is important for students to name the areas of life for themselves that can not do without mathematics. Prepare a brief overview of each of the areas, indicating exactly how mathematics affects it.
As a result, after the project, children will know more about this science and its impact on their lives.
Theme "Scale"
Children are interested not only in feeling equal to teachers and sometimes taking their place at the blackboard, but also in conducting research work. The mathematics project on the topic “Scale” will do a great job of this.
- Purpose of work: to consolidate the studied material and to teach students to correlate the real sizes of objects with their reduced copies printed on paper.
- The objective of the project: to train students to navigate on the map, make mathematical calculations and compare them with the scale of objects.
- Type of project: individual research.
- Recommendations for implementation: since this is an independent work of the student, it should be presented, involving other children in the process. For example, you can offer them as an example to draw some objects on a scale of 1:10 on a sheet of A4 format . Thus, students will make independent calculations and consolidate the material covered. Or you can find out the real distance between cities on the map.
The result of the project: students will better understand the material, learn how to use the card, get involved in collaboration.
Conclusion
Involving children in the preparation and implementation of projects is a great opportunity to grow creative, responsible and deeply thinking people. The application of this approach to the study of mathematics will make this subject more interesting and understandable for children.