Mathematics In Fairyland

Mathematics In Fairyland
Sketch for classes V - VIII
Author: Teodora Cosma

Tale: created by the teacher (adapted from the collection "Immortal Stories" or any other stories, preferred by students).

Environment: the classroom during the school year (big break, another break, at the beginning of courses, after classes at the end of the first semester  or at the end of the second semester  and at the end of the school year).

Roles:

The first student - who is concerned about his school situation at the mathematics discipline, which is the worse (it stands at not passing level and / or the level of repetition, as when the sketch is organized), seeking to recover his education which is lagging ago , obtain better grades, to improve his school situation.

The second student - which meets with  the first student, learn about his problems and proposes to him to learn together and with other colleagues, in a fairy world of their favorite's tales, where learning math is easy, fun and successful.

Warriors - students seeking better grades (to promote the first semester, to promote the second semester, to avoid the not passing educational's situations etc.) which participating in competitions type question - answer.

Other students - to be distributed in other roles of the story's chosen.

Working methods: narrative, oral questioning method, adhesive applications.

Teaching equipment and materials: sheets with questions (or affixed to a solid support: the blackboard, plywood, acrylic, flipchart, etc..) adhesive application sheets containing answers to the addressed questions,  markers, school supplies, specifical costumes for the roles played by students, badges and others.

A Mathematical Tale

Tale: created by the teacher, Teodora Cosma.

The subject of the tale plays:

          The Princesses Algebra and Geometry are kidnapped by The Dragon Of The Small Notes and his brother The Dragon  Of The Failure.

          To release them and to bring them back to the Royal Family and to King Mathematicus, the warriors (students seeking better grades, to promote the discipline of mathematics in the first semester), must participate in contests type questions - answers.

          King Mathematicus sends on the brave Numericus , to participate in the race - competition, with the required to issue the two Princesses.

        

    Venue : a mathematical lesson at the end of first semester of school year 2011 - 2012, at the seventh grade A.

    Roles: The first student - the role of the brave Numericus -  Cristian – Mirel Şolea.

                The second student - the role of King Mathematicus - Samuel – Constantin  Nicoară.

                Princess Algebra - Nicoleta – Margareta Irinca.

                The Princess's Algebra companion - Raluca – Andreea Toma.

                Princess Geometry - Nicoleta – Elena Kovacs.

                The Princess's Geometry companion - Raluca Fleaca.

                The Dragon Of The Small Notes – Călin Crişan .

                The Dragon  Of The Failure -  Sergiu – Valentin Crăciun.                    

                  The companions of brave Numericus  -  two or more students, which will help on the brave Numericus  to use the documents (the applications with adhesive sheets, with the answers) in the race - contest.

                  The presenter - a student (a student or the teacher).  

Sketch:

The first student: in the classroom, at school, very concerned about his school situation at mathematics, meets the second student.

The second student: What are you doing, Cristian?

The first student: I am thinking what can I do, because I like mathematics, but I have very low notes, it may to don’t promote this semester.

The second student: In the wold of fairy tales, learning mathematics is easy, fun and successful. Let’s imagine that: you are the brave Numericus, I am The King Mathematicus and my daughters, Princess Algebra and Princess Geometry are kidnapped by The Dragon Of The Small Notes and his brother, The Dragon Of The Failure.

The two students come out of the scene to dress in the costumes.

Other characters entering in the scene, dressed in costumes and placed at locations determined to carrying the emulation - contest.

The Princesses with their attendants support drawings with questions of algebra and geometry, or set them on a stand.

The two Dragons will address questions and will try to hinder on the brave Numericus's correctly answers (disregard the order they are written on boards). Are able to call for help, or to form a gallery.

Enter King Mathematicus on stage, then brave Numericus.

King Mathematicus: Numericus, I give you  the necessary documents (applications with adhesive sheets), take  companions and go to The Dragon Of The Small Notes and to his brother, The Dragon Of The Failure, who  kidnapped the two princesses, Algebra and Geometry, to release them!

Numericus takes the documents, the companions and goes to The Dragon Of Small Notes and to his brother, The Dragon Of The Failure.

Emulation – contest:

Algebra: 1) What is an irrational number?

                2) What are the subcrowds of the real numbers crowd?

    3) How much is:  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,            

                                       , ,  ,  ,  ,  ?

    4) Which from the numbers  2  and  3 , is greater?

    5) What result we achieve if we perform the calculations: and ?

    6) What result we achieve if we perform the calculations:  and ?

Geometry:

                 1) Set out the Thales's theorem.

                 2) Set out the reciprocal theorem of the Thales's theorem.

                 3) What is a quadrilateral?

                 4) How do we define a parallelogram? How  calculate perimeter and area?

                 5) What particular parallelograms do you know? How calculate the perimeters and their areas?

                 6) What is the trapezius? How  calculate perimeter and area?

After the emulation – contest:

King Mathematicus: Congratulations, Numericus! You win!

Numericus: Makes a reverence.

While applauding the participants, the first and the second student come back on stage without costumes, like at the early scenes, making the final moment.

The second student: Now you can pass successfully in the second semester of the school year (wording of this sentence shall be adjusted to the time's of the play).

The First Student: Now I think that I will obtain higher notes at my answers and I will promote the first semester of this school year (this phrase's formulation is adapted, after the time's of the plays).

Preparatory aspects and activities: 

 

   

                       Made in December, 2011, at the General School "Sigismund Toduţă" Simeria.