Muyi Mir Mathematics
Overview
In this unit, students will engage with the Muyi Mir and Pondi stories found in the Wamba Wamba Multi Touch Book. They will explore the distance between the Wamba Wamba community and the location of their school. Students will identify and extend mathematical concepts such as number, sequence and patterns within the narratives, and engage in hands-on activities using collected natural materials.
Acknowledgement
At the heart of Jajoo Warrngara are the communities that lead the work on Country. We would like to acknowledge the Wamba Wamba Custodians who proudly shared this story, and pay our respects to the Elders past and present. SharingStories thanks Wamba Wamba Traditional Custodian Uncle Ron Murray for sharing this cultural knowledge.
Protocols
First-person Cultural knowledge has been generously shared by the Wamba Wamba Traditional Custodians and Elders, including Aunty Stephanie Charles, Uncle Ron Murrary and Sandra Kropinyeri, in order to create tailored Classroom Protocols. The Protocols are designed to guide educators to share the stories and cultural knowledge in the most appropriate way, thus supporting the cultural safety of both educators and students while sharing the story Muyi Mir and Pondi in classrooms. It is strongly recommended that educators read the Classroom Protocols prior to teaching this unit.
Essential Questions
- What defines a pattern or sequence, and how can we identify, extend, and create repeating patterns using numbers, symbols, shapes, and objects?
- How do we determine the length of shapes and objects utilising informal units of measurement?
- How can games like ‘go fish’ connect to the mathematical idea of pairing and grouping numbers?
Muyi Mir Mathematics “Leaf it to us!” Lesson 1
Lesson 1
- Watch with the Wamba Wamba Welcome to Country by Traditional Custodian, Uncle Ron Murray in the Wamba Wamba Multi-Touch Book on pg 7.
- As a class read and engage with the Muyi Mir story.
- Using the Map of Indigenous Australia | AIATSIS and the VACL Aboriginal Languages of Victoria Map identify where Wamba Wamba Country is and where your school community is located.
Task
- Gather in a yarning circle around the images of the MTB displayed on a smart screen. As you navigate through specific pages, interact with the students by asking the following questions:
- What did you think of the story?
- Which characters stood out to you and why?
- Is there anything you would like to share about how the story made you feel or think?
- How many characters are featured in the story in total?
- How many different types of trees are mentioned? Which type of tree is mentioned the most? Which is mentioned the least?
- On page 16, count the number of trees surrounding Muyi Mir (Lake Boga).
- Listen carefully and count the curlew calls on page 28. How many times did it call out?
- Share page 16 and 29 of the book with the students and ask them to look carefully at the shape and colours used on the trees and the canoes. Draw both shapes on the board. Ask students to choose 3 colours and make a pattern using one of these shapes, ask them to think about how they will sort the order of their pattern using shape, colour and size.
Reflection
- What shape did you choose?
- How did you order your pattern?
- Ask them to articulate their pattern?
- How many times did you have to draw and colour the shapes before you saw a pattern?
Muyi Mir Mathematics “Leaf it to us!” Lesson 2
- Continuing on from the last lesson, lead students outside to explore and collect fallen leaves on the school's oval or a nearby green space. In small groups, guide the students to sort the leaves based on various attributes like shapes, sizes, or colours.
Task
- Provide each group with a Leaf Sorting and Classifying Worksheet, where they can document their sorting process. Include sections for recording the criteria used for sorting, as well as space for drawings, descriptions or for pasting the leaves in each category.
Reflection
- How would you explain the process of sorting and classifying leaves to someone who wasn't in your group?
Muyi Mir Mathematics “Leaf it to us!” Lesson 3
- Now that students have learned how to classify leaves, embark on another outdoor excursion to collect more natural items like fallen leaves, sticks, or pebbles.
- Students are to create simple patterns using these items on the ground. Remind them that a pattern involves a repeating sequence or arrangement.
Task
- Discuss and extend the patterns with each student, emphasising the concept of repetition. Encourage them to identify elements in their patterns that repeat.
- After creating individual patterns, have the students visit each other's creations. Ask them to observe and identify the patterns in their peers' arrangements.
- Provide a Sequencing Worksheet for students to transfer their pattern knowledge into numerical patterns.
- Note: Be sure to keep these leaves and collections for the next lesson!
Reflection
- Were there any aspects of the sequencing worksheet that you found tricky or difficult? If so, what strategies did you use to overcome them? In what ways did someone else's patterns differ from yours?
Muyi Mir Mathematics “Leaf it to us!” Lesson 4
- In this lesson, engage with the Wamba Wamba Multi-Touch Book and read the Pondi story. In a yarning circle, have a discussion about this. Some questions to support the conversation are as follows:
- Where did Totyerguil and his family find a beautiful place to camp?
- What did Totyerguil's sons discover at the billabong?
- How did Totyerguil make his canoe?
- Who was Pondi? What happened to Pondi?
- What did Pondi create during the chase?
Task
- Connect this story to your local area. What are the important local lakes, rivers, creeks, etc., in your area? How might you find this out?
- Provide students with a selection of crafts. Students are to transform their collected leaves into vibrant fish by adding eyes, fins, and creative details. Each fish should have a unique number written on it. Designate the playing area as "Muyi Mir" (Lake Boga), a lively lake. Alternatively, it could be called Mile (The Murray River) or even Lake Alexandrina. Students play the role of Totyerguil or a person fishing and take turns to ask their partner for a specific number of fish to create pairs (similar to the card game "Go Fish"). Encourage students to count and reflect on the numbers they collect. Are there patterns in the numbers chosen? After the game, gather the fish and discuss the total number of pairs caught in the "Muyi Mir" lake.
