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Topic: Multiplication-first cultures?
Replies: 19   Last Post: Mar 18, 2009 10:22 AM

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Maria Droujkova

Posts: 204
Registered: 12/6/04
Multiplication-first cultures?
Posted: Feb 26, 2009 1:23 PM
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Hello, I am new at this forum, and I have a newbie-level question.

When a new generation is learning mathematics of its culture, it can ground ideas in experiences and/or in other math ideas. In the case of multiplication, you can ground it in actions and experiences such as arrays and areas, folding, cutting or splitting. Or, you can learn it through repeated addition and skip counting, the method favored by many current curricula.

Does anyone know how other cultures, including civilizations of the past, went about this issue? Did they define multiplicative ideas through additive, or did they refer to life experiences to ground multiplication?

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