essay on use of geometry in kitchen
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Mathematics are all around us in the world. We can discover mathematics everywhere we look at in the world; for example, in nature. Following the ‘Decreto 97/2015’, mathematical components are present in all aspects of human life. The understanding of Math help us understand the world around us and develop our life in a successful way. Geometry is a mathematical discipline that refers to the ‘study of the properties and measurement of figures in the plane or in the space’ (RAE Dictionary 22nd edition). Geometry is included under ‘section 4: Geometry’ in the curriculum for Primary Education in Andalucía. According to the ‘Decreto 97/2015’, the learning of geometry requires thinking and doing following different and changing criteria so that students develop the ability to visualize geometric relations. The everyday surroundings are a real and diverse source to learn about geometry, its elements, properties, etc. As I was exposing before, geometry relates to the real world and the best way to work on it is using manipulative materials of everyday use.
One of the areas or disciplines where we can find the presence of geometry and, obviously, Mathematics, is cooking, baking and our whole kitchen in general. Cooking and working in the kitchen is an everyday activity to which we are completely used to but it has many potentialities and possibilities that allow us to work Math concepts using manipulative and real materials and resources. Following Medina & Salvador (2005, p. 306), “the activities or tasks must promote meaningful learning and acquire a more functional character”. According to these authors (Medina & Salvador, 2005), observation and learning should take place through activities that put students in direct contact with reality through the handling of objects. Through the handling of objects from their close physic-natural environment the interest and curiosity of the child is awaken and then is when real learning takes place.
From my point of view, it would be very interesting and beneficial for students to learn geometry around the kitchen environment. Cooking as well as the kitchen and all the objects and tools we can find in it are well known by students as they are in contact with them every day. Moreover, the kitchen is an area full of resources that all students can find at their homes and where all students can go, so it does not require an extra preparation, materials or difficulty.
Through the study and analysis of cooking tools and utensils students could learn the different geometric shapes as well as the different elements we can identify in them. For example, they could identify a round cake with a circle; cutting a piece of cake starting on the center would mark the center of the circle as well as the radius; cutting it in half to identify the diameter. I think I could work geometry in the classroom through an ‘investigative project’ in the way of a ‘treasure hunt’; students would be divided into groups and each group would be assigned a set of riddles that would help them figure out what type of geometrical shape with its characteristics they must find in the kitchen. As they move forward in the hunting process they would be recording each shape and element they find with its measurements, elements and characteristics in a notebook; so that at the end of the project they have a ‘book’ with a compilation of all the geometrical shapes, its characteristics and its similarities with a kitchen utensil. Through this activity students would work on measurement, geometry, oral and written expression and comprehension and creativity. The development of several competences as well as improvement of peers’ relationships would be worked and would take place.
Finally, working geometry through cooking and the kitchen would give us the opportunity to learn new vocabulary about objects we can find in our daily life, this could take place both in Spanish and English.
Another idea of connecting geometry to the kitchen would be that instead of making the connection with tools and utensils we could make the connection with food. This would allow us much more freedom in the selection of shapes and would also let us work on other more creative aspects. The Turkish photographer Sakir Gökçebad (2007) cuts and slices food, specially fruits and vegetables, and arranges them into very detailed and difficult geometrical shapes.