Math Made Easy: Learning elementary geometry through dance

Did you ever think of learning mathematics through dance? Come to think of it, dance is indeed a combination of various math elements, from counting to sequence, mapping, forming shapes, and so much more!  

At Apeejay School Kharghar, a teacher adapted this principle to make her class more interesting for students — she used hand tutting to teach basic math concepts.

For the uninitiated, hand tutting is a street-style dance form that involves the forearms, from the elbow to the fingertips, to create angular movements. The shoulder and the upper arms remain stiff. Tutting received international attention in recent years with well-known dancers, choreographers, and pop stars incorporating it into their craft.

Also Read: Math Made Easy: 9 study tips to make solving problems fun

But how can tutting help in learning mathematical concepts? “Hand tutting can be used to make geometrical shapes and angles,” says Rakhi Roy Chaudhury, PGT Maths, Apeejay School, Kharghar, who used this technique to teach elementary geometry to her students. Take a look:

In this video, a few class VII students from Apeejay School, Kharghar, are seen performing tutting by making geometrical shapes with their arms.

The teacher explains, “It is an art-integrated learning exercise for students. For instance, when they do ‘namaste’, their arms are positioned at two right angles to form a linear pair. The following hand gestures in the video represent parallel lines, perpendicular, parallelograms, and triangles, among other shapes. My students enjoyed this activity a lot.”

Also Read: Math Made Easy: ‘Search for real-life applications of each topic that are fun and interesting’

With many students being weary of complex mathematical problems, such art-integrated activities are a good way to pique their interest in the subject and reduce phobia. The math teacher adds, “Students engage better through these activities. Showing real-life examples also helps them not only to understand concepts quickly but also to retain what they learn. It helps them understand the importance of mathematics.

“In hand tutting, for instance, I taught the steps to students and then asked them to explain each of the movements. This encouraged them to think and come up with ideas. In the process, students’ concentration levels also improved.”