Test Papers / Previous Question Papers of Indira Gandhi National Open University AMT Teaching of Primary School Mathematics December 2006

Bachelor's Degree Program / Certificate Programme in Teaching of Primary School Mathematics (CTPM)

Term-End Examination

Application Oriented Course
AMT: Teaching of Primary School Mathematics

Time: 3 hours
Maximum Marks: 100

Note: Question no. 1 is compulsory. Attempt any eight questions from questions no. 2 to 11.

1. (a) Outline a series of three activities to help a child realize that an n increases, (-n) decreases, where n is a natural number.

(b) Raju writes 18/5 = 3 3/5 and 5/3 = 2 1/3. What could the reasoning be behind the error he is making? Describe your strategy for helping Raju correct his error. (4)

(c) Give one example each of the reduction type and complementary addition type of word problems related to a nurse's job. (4)

(d) A mason (bricklayer) says that her job needs mathematics in many ways. Support what the mason says by giving, with justification, two examples, from different areas of mathematics. (4)

(e) Describe an activity or exercise that you would use for helping a child understand the difference between time interval and an instant of time. Also give an activity you would use to assess her understanding of this difference. (4)

2.(a) The following statements are often made about mathematics. How will you explain to a Class 5 student the meaning of these statements? Give examples to support your explanation also. (6)
(i) Mathematics is powerful.
(ii) Mathematics knowledge is hierarchically constructed.

(b) Give one example of a non-standard unit of area measurement. Why are non-standard units inadequate? How will you introduce to your class standard units of area beginning with non-standard units? (4)

3.(a) What is algebra? Give three reasons for including algebra in the middle school curriculum. (b) (i) Give two fractions equivalent to 17/34.

(ii) How will you help the children of your class learn about equivalence of fractions? Give a detailed strategy for this. How would you assess the effectiveness of your strategy? (5)

4.(a) State whether the following statements are true or false. Give reasons for your answers. (6)
(i) Zero is not 'nothing'
(ii) Children should be exposed to a concept through related word problems.
(iii) If a child can recite number names, then she knows how to count.

(b) suggest two ways, with justification, in which we can make classroom learning a cooperative process in which the teacher and the children learn. (4)

5.(a) What is seriation? Why is it called a pre-number concept? Describe one play activity to assess how developed a child's ability to seriate is. (4)

(b) Why do children need to develop their estimation abilities? Further, give two activities to hel develop a child's ability to estimate the product of decimal fractions. Your activities should be at different levels of difficulty. (6)

6.(a) Describe an algorithm for division. For convenience take a four-digit number to be divided by a single-digit number. Explain the mathematical reasoning behind the working of the algorithm. (5)

(b) Explain, using examples, why we say
(i) mathematic is a language;
(ii) our ordinary language plays an important role in the teaching and learning of mathematic. (5)

7.(a) Give three errors that children commonly make while using a protractor for angle measurement. How would you help a child to use it correctly. (4)

(b) Explain the E-L-P-S sequence that could be followed in learning a concept. Illustrate the sequence in the context of learning the concept of an angle. (6)

8.Why should you plan your teaching? State five guidelines you need to follow in working out a unit plan. Keeping these guidelines in view, write down a unit plan for teaching addition of decimal fractions. (10)

9.(a) "Children learn by experiencing things." Based on this fact, give a detailed strategy for teaching children the concept of fraction. (5)

(b) We can multiply 371 with 9 from left to right. True or False? Give reasons for your answer. (2)

(c) Children use their own strategies in arriving at an answer. Suggest the strategies children may have used in the following examples:
(i) 8 + 7 = 14 + 1 = 15
(ii)7/8 - ¾ = 28-24/32 = 4/32 = 1/8
(iii)309 / 3 = 300 / 3 + 9 / 3 = 103

10 (a) Give at least two different activities to introduce addition of negative numbers to a class of 50 children. How would you assess the effectiveness of your activities? (5)

(b) "Children develop their own strategies to solve problems." Explain this statement. Your explanation should also include two examples, one related to spatial understanding and one related to division. (5)

11.(a) Give two examples of indicative reasoning, one related to a village child's daily life and the other from mathematic. Justify your choice of examples. (5)

(b) Give three concepts or processes that a child needs to know before she is introduced to the concept of volume. Justify your choice. (5)