I sat down to do my homework this week and I see that it is about place values. The first thought that comes to mind is this is going to be one of those ten minute assignments. I could not have been more wrong. Sure I understand the standard place value system that we were taught all those years ago. What we were asked to learn however was so much more complex than that. We had to learn how to use three different number systems. They were the:
Babylonian Numerals
Mayan Numerals
Roman Numerals
http://www.mathatube.com/tables-charts-roman-numeral-chart-html.html
Not only did I have to learn the place value difference, I had to learn the number system and then apply all of this knowledge. I could clearly see that this was not going to be the ten minute assignment of my dreams.
Babylonian Numerals
Mayan Numerals
Roman Numerals
Not only did I have to learn the place value difference, I had to learn the number system and then apply all of this knowledge. I could clearly see that this was not going to be the ten minute assignment of my dreams.
As I was going through and writing all of the symbols out and then trying to remember how to translate it back into our system I could not help by wonder why we would need to know this. Then it hit me. This is how students feel when they are asked to figure out place values in the first place. They have not yet been trained to simply look at the number 16 and know that the one really means ten. They just finished learning that that funny symbol means one and now all of the sudden it is supposed to mean ten? I can see how this would be confusing.
The feelings that I was having are similar to what my future students might feel when they are being presented with this strange new concept. I now can sympathize with them and help them to work through it before frustration sets in. Not only this, but I know I will never look at the number 16 or any other number the same again. I have been taking the system for granted and through this activity I was forced to step back and truly learn why the place value system is set up the way that it is.
For an example of difference numeral systems, check out the following websites:
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