Moving numbers (BOOK + TOOL)

The star on stage is the arithmetic machine Zero+1, also known as pascalina from the arithmetic machine invented by Blaise Pascal in 1600, a tremendous resource for fuelling, enriching and stimulating classroom teaching.

It allows to approach maths teaching and learning of key concepts under a different light: the writing of numbers using the decimal positioning system, the recursion and algorithms of operations.

The book is divided into two parts:

• the first dedicated to the presentation of pascalina Zero+1 – what it is and how it works – and the didactic methodology that adopts tools, as in a laboratory where you proceed through attempts and mistakes; this part contains some in-depth historical and didactic explanations as well;
• the latter contains five workshops to be carried out progressively in class, each one including a teacher’ s guide and practical worksheets for pupils.

The teaching proposals, addressed to children from the end of primary one up to primary four, are the result of several  experiments conducted in different schools by teachers belonging to research groups in mathematics teaching at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and the University of Torino.

Institutional sponsors

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
University of Torino