The next math icon we’ll examine is “Conversion” (read about inquiry and application and strategies and proofs). The Conversion icon is designed to help students make connections between different ways of expressing the same value. The icon itself is divided into four quarters, representing one quarter in four different ways:
- A shaded quarter circle
- The fractional form: 1/4
- The decimal form: 0.25
- As currency: $0.25
The Conversion icon promotes fluency with the concept of transforming values into different but equivalent forms. Consider introducing the Conversion icon with measurement. You might ask your students how many equivalent ways there are to express one foot:
- 12 inches.
- 1/3 of a yard.
- 1/5280 of a mile.
- 1/6 the height of an average male.
Using currency, one dollar can be converted into:
- 100 pennies
- Twenty nickels
- Ten dimes
- Four quarters
But a dollar can also be converted to (at the time of this writing):
- About 0.8 euros
- About thirteen pesos
- About ninety yen
In this way, Conversion lends itself well to the study of ratios and proportions. If one dollar is about thirteen pesos, how many dollars do you have given fifty pesos? The Conversion icon promotes not just the idea of equivalent values, but the process of conversion as well. When reading a map, students need to convert the distance represented on the map into the real world distance. Finally, take Conversion a step further by combining with the complexity tool of Multiple Perspectives. Ask students to consider why we need to convert between values. Ask when each equivalent value becomes useful.
- A foot is fantastic for measuring the height of a person, but useless in measuring the length of (most) insect.
- Quarters are preferable when I’m at the laundromat, but I’d rather have a twenty dollar bill in most other scenarios.
- Yen may be a mere curiosity to American friends, but in Japan it is indispensable.
Creating young mathematicians who are fluent in Conversion is essential to developing future scientists, economists, and business leaders.
Math Icons: Conversion
The Conversion icon promotes fluency with the concept of transforming values into different but equivalent forms. Consider introducing the Conversion icon with measurement. You might ask your students how many equivalent ways there are to express one foot:
Using currency, one dollar can be converted into:
But a dollar can also be converted to (at the time of this writing):
In this way, Conversion lends itself well to the study of ratios and proportions. If one dollar is about thirteen pesos, how many dollars do you have given fifty pesos? The Conversion icon promotes not just the idea of equivalent values, but the process of conversion as well. When reading a map, students need to convert the distance represented on the map into the real world distance. Finally, take Conversion a step further by combining with the complexity tool of Multiple Perspectives. Ask students to consider why we need to convert between values. Ask when each equivalent value becomes useful.
Creating young mathematicians who are fluent in Conversion is essential to developing future scientists, economists, and business leaders.