The Numberverse is especially for people who don't like maths. If you're one of those people who find maths boring, hard, annoying or pointless then The Numberverse is for you to enjoy.
First we'll look at stuff you find all around you. In the walls and in church arches. In pine cones and petals. Carry on looking and numbers will start jumping out, patterns will appear before your eyes, and you will see the secrets of The Numberverse opening up to you. And we won't stop there. Would you like to know the history of zero? And what people did before zero was invented? And how people got along without fractions and percentages before they were invented? Do we even need them, anyway?
It's all in The Numberverse. And you will understand every word of it if you can understand what you are reading now. It's true: if you can count, and you are curious well, then you have all the knowledge you need for the journey.
You can't expect to pluck a new topic out of the ether if it seems completely unrelated to any previous knowledge you might have, and the same goes for your students. For primary and secondary teachers to use with children aged 7 to 13 years, The Numberverse takes you through a series of thought experiments, activities, stories and histories which build the foundations for a deep understanding (and maybe even love!) of maths.
If maths has always been a closed book to you, now is the time to turn to the first page.
PLEASE NOTE: There is no test ANYWHERE in this book.
Foreword |
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1 | (1) |
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Introduction |
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1 | (20) |
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21 | (8) |
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Number bonds and operations |
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29 | (6) |
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Numbers, digits and numerals |
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35 | (6) |
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The purpose and scope of numbers |
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41 | (10) |
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51 | (8) |
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The decimal system and its alternatives |
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A Jump to the Left ... and a Step to the Right |
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59 | (10) |
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69 | (6) |
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Addition and the beginnings of mathematics |
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75 | (10) |
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85 | (10) |
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Mathematical knowledge and logic |
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95 | (10) |
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105 | (12) |
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117 | (10) |
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127 | (8) |
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135 | (8) |
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143 | (8) |
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The history and development of our number system |
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Squintasticadillion and One |
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151 | (6) |
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High numbers and the invention of numerical terms |
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157 | (10) |
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The golden section in art and nature |
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167 | (8) |
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Pi, and the perimeter and area of a circle |
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175 | (8) |
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183 | (8) |
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Fractions in everyday language |
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191 | (8) |
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The practical application of fractions |
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199 | (6) |
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205 | (8) |
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Averages -- mode, median and mean |
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213 | (8) |
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Geometry in the built environment |
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221 | (10) |
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Sets and the individual's number line |
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231 | (8) |
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Estimating, reasoning and dividing |
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239 | (8) |
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247 | (4) |
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Bibliography |
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251 | (2) |
Acknowledgements |
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253 | |
Andrew has a background in language teaching and a degree in Philosophy and Social Anthropology, the combination of which have sparked his passionate curiosity into the part that language plays in the development of thinking. Having joined The Philosophy Foundation in 2009, Andrew quickly invested in their ethos, striving to encourage young people to think philosophically. Peter Worley BA MA FRSA is co-founder and CEO of The Philosophy Foundation, President of SOPHIA, and an award-winning author and editor of books about doing philosophy in schools.Peter is resident philosopher at 4 state primary schools in Lewisham, visiting philosopher at Wellington College and Eagle House School, and a Visiting Research Associate at Kings College London's Philosophy Department. He has delivered training for philosophy departments across the UK, including Edinburgh, Warwick, Oxford Brookes and Birmingham Universities. He talks, presents, writes and gives workshops about philosophy in schools and The Philosophy Foundation's work - but importantly continues to work in the classroom which is the inspiration for his pedagogy, philosophy in schools practice, theory and writing.