Making Use of Instagram Poetry for Gaining Insights into the Language of Mathematics

Mathematics is only subject that can be taught on an individual basis easily because of its universality and similar age-grade pitching throughout the world irrespective of the context and with flexibility of approaches to the precise text it has. Despite this affordability, a large majority of math classes consist of teacher-led lessons directed at the whole class through the teacher’s ‘parrot-math’ style of teaching.

Along with self-pacing, math instruction needs to be linked to verbal intelligence and musical intelligence of students through language arts and recitation. And, instagram poetry seems appropriate for it rather than rap lyrics created by adults for their commercialization and showing off personal talent to make math instruction an edutainment. However, instagram type of non-rhyming poetry can be suitable for students from grade four onwards since only requires restricting of text.

Now, evidences exist that by combining the elements of poetry as language art, visual art and rhythmic music with math learning, more students can be made to get interested in mathematics courses and more so the girls. It is also said, for better rhythm, a frequent combination of three and two syllabic words provides pleasantness in the sounding of words.

If, teacher spends about two-hours to demystify the making of instagram verses with examples, guided practice and independent work with a jam session, the students will take interest in reading the mathematical language and pick up the vocabulary of and insights in the language of mathematics.

ideas contained in some concise mathematical statements - created by me. It is more of rearranging the statements and key textual material into line-wise phrases with some riders or rule to impart musicality to the speech.

(1) For converting numbers

From decimal to percent,

Shift the decimal sign

By two places to the right.

And, for percent to decimal,

By two places to the left.

(2) A figure

Closed by sides,

Is called polygon.

In polygon names

For three sides the

Word used is ‘tri’

For four sides, ‘quad’

For five sides, ‘penta’

For six side, ‘hexa’

For seven sides, ‘hepta’

For eight sides, ‘deca’.

For more than ten, it’s n-sided polygon.