Ethnomathematics

Defined by Brazilian mathematician Ubiratan D’Ambrosio as intersections of culture, historical traditions, socio-cultural roots, and mathematics.  It seeks to answer the question of students in math classes everywhere: What’s the relevance? Often the answers are experienced on location during field trips, by applying math to the world around us, and making it meaningful.  It is used to understand inequality and poverty and arouse a sense of action and indignation about injustice. Ethnomathematics can serve the larger goals of equality, peace and social justice. As examples, find data on neighborhood houselessness and compare it to the number in other neighborhoods, or create a chart to compare climate change measures around the world.