A tecelagem africana e os saberes matemáticos que permeiam a geometria à luz da etnomatemática

Abstract

The Ethnomathematics Program gives new meaning to the teaching of mathematics by highlighting the knowledge present in the cultural practices of a people. This research asks: How do 7th grade students at the Santo Antônio de Jesus Educational Cooperative (COOPEDUCAR) apply their knowledge of area and perimeter in concrete situations, considering ethnomathematics and the geometric patterns of African weaving? In this context, the study of area and perimeter applied to geometric patterns of African fabrics is highlighted. The overall aim is to see whether 7th graders at COOPEDUCAR understand the relationship between the geometric patterns found in African weaving and the concepts of area and perimeter, from the perspective of ethnomathematics. The Didactic Engineering methodology describes a didactic sequence using African culture and fabrics. Data analysis showed that all the groups were able to measure the geometric patterns of African fabrics. With regard to calculations, only two groups made mistakes.