Article: Read the text below. (5 minutes)
Knowledge of geometry may be innate according to an experiment by French scientist Pierre Pica.
In most formal schools, people learn geometry using the principles introduced by the Greek mathematician Euclid 2,300 years ago. Pica and his team wanted to find out if other cultures which do not have formal education are able to answer geometry questions.
In his experiment, Pica involved 22 adults and 8 children from an Amazon tribe called Mundurucu. The tribe does not have words for geometrical concepts like square, triangle, lines and points, so Pica presented them with everyday situations that lead to questions concerning geometry.
The participants answered accurately even without formal training in geometry. Pica then compared the answers of the Mundurucu to French and American participants who answered similar questions. The answers of Mundurucu participants matched their Western counterparts.
Pica got a more surprising result when he asked the Mundurucu a question based on a non-Euclidean concept. This concept opposes Euclidean geometry which is normally taught in formal schools. Mundurucu participants answered the questions more accurately than the Western participants who were trained in Euclidean geometry.
Pica’s experiment reveals that knowledge of geometry does not depend on language or formal training and may, in fact, be innate. In addition, it suggests that western education can be misleading because as demonstrated in the experiment, not all concepts used in western education apply to all situations.
Words Difficult to Pronounce
geometry – [jee-om-i-tree]
innate – [ih-neyt]
Euclid – [yoo-klid]
Mundurucu – [moon-doo-roo-koo]
Euclidean - [yoo-klid-ee-uh n]
Vocabulary Review: Read the following words/expressions used in the article and make sample sentences using them. (5 minutes)
1. innate (adj.) – something that is already present since one’s birth
Example: The ability to make sounds is innate in all human beings.
2. tribe (n.) – any group of people that are joined together by common ancestors, way of life and/or loyalty to a leader
Example: People from the tribe of Eskimos all know how to hunt whales.
3. concept (n.) – an idea
Example: The concept of democracy is hard to explain.
4. accurately (adv.) – done without error or mistake
Example: He won the contest because he answered the questions accurately.
5. counterpart (n.) – a person or thing that has the same function or quality as another
Example: A governess is the female counterpart of a governor.
Comprehension Questions: Basing it from the article, answer the following questions. Answer using your own words. (5 minutes)
1. What did Pica and his team want to find out about the knowledge of geometry?
2. How did Pica and his team conduct the experiment to find answers to their question?
3.Why did Pica and his team say that western education can be misleading?
Viewpoint Discussion: Read the following statements and determine whether you AGREE or DISAGREE. Discuss the reasons with your tutor. (5 minutes)
1. Western education should not be entirely adapted in schools.
2. Mathematics is useful in our everyday lives.
