Mathematics and scientific excercises in lateral way

Selected by L. Varnai

1. Perception and selection - (quality) observation

Aim: To notice and to get seen small, obvious, light fenomenas and other informations which could be the keys to understand some correlations in the nature (in wide meaning). 1.1 Theoretical part Questions: a, Why can be found 12 hour-mark on the clock-face? b, Why so long 1 secundum? c, Why do we use decimal algorism (or binary) ?

1.2 Practical part Games:

I. Shooting game
II. Observation game a, Examing your partner (in pair) for 10 sec. and then try to collect his/her features (simple words) b, Making feature-categories : normal, special c, Choose the most specific, most important ones (max 3) III. Attribution game - brainstorming What would be the effects, consequences of these features (link to other features) ? IV. Mickey Mouse game

2. Abstract or model design

Aim: making the world more and more understandable, simplification of reality for coherent, adaptive and transpartent mindset 2.1 Theoretical part

Questions:
a, What does a fotomodel mean and why? b, What are the common features of a car and its model? c, What is the hokum, sob stuff and why?

2.2 Practical part Excercise: I. Creating model a, Describe a DESK, that you imagine (with closed eyes) and compare its features to others ones. b, Search the same words collected and create by this words an figure (model) c, Draw some figure, model. What does it concern? (mexician in hat, omega, A)

Games:
II. Out of the box: Thiagis circles game.

3. Quantities and scaling, measures

Aim: To develop the critical thinking that makes differences among strongness of the effects. To get known how to compare the same beeings 3.1 Theoretical part Questions: a, Who is nice? b, Who is bad? c, 1 km is long or short distance and why?

3.2 Practical part Excercise: a, There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Everyday he gets the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work. Upon returning from work though, he can only travel half way up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining! Why? b, One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How?

4. Definition of functions, laws of all

Aim: To explore the correlations, connections in the world, to determine the importance of the elements of the reality. To develope the sense of justice 4.1 Theoretical part Excercises: a, Clever is that man/woman, who b, The sky is red, when 4.2 Practical part Game: I. How many I show game