Numerical Literacy

Tutorial
Tutorial 1.1
Question 1 : The Kings Elephant Problem.
Once upon a time the king of Siam asked jis warriors to measure the weight of an elephant.
However the weight of the elephant was too heavy to be measured by the biggest weighing
machine available. Your task is to help the warriors to solve the problem.
Question 2 : Abu Nawas Problem.
In one of the stories in One Thousand and One Night, Abu Nawas would only allow any
traveller to fetch water from the only well in the desert after solving the following problem :
The travellers were given a 3-litre container and a 5-litre container. They have to measure
exactly four and seven litres of water using the above containers. You are required to help
the travellers solve the problem.
Tutorial 1.2 : Creative Problem Solving.
Identify the strategy that you used to solve the problem in tutorial 1
Create another problem that can be solved using different strategy/strategies.
Group presentation.

Tutorial 2.1
In group of 2-3, discuss :
-What is numeracy?
-Relate Numeracy to National Mathematics curriculum.
-As a teacher, how can you help your students to acquire this proficiency.
Present results of your groups discussion to the whole class.

Tutorial 2.2

Physical manipulative materials such as counters are commonly used to promote the
learning of computation among primary scholl children. In recent years, the
advancement in computer technology has resulted in the creation of virtual
manipulative material that can be seen and manipulated on a computer screen.
Compare and contrast the effectiveness of using virtual manipulative materials and
physical manipulative materials in the teaching and learning computation among
primary school children.
Identify appropriate and inappropriate uses of calculator and computer in the teaching
of computation among primary school children.

Tutorial 2.3
In group of 2-3, discuss :

Why and when do we need rough estimation?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of applying estimation in real life?

Tutorial 3.1
1. Discuss and isentify all measuement properties of the following objects :
a) A bulletin board
b) A table
c) An extension cord
d) A bowl

2. Suggest a suitable standard unit for each of the following measurement :

i)
The distance between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok
ii)
The height of a front gate
iii)
The amount of annual rainfall of a place
iv)
The amount of water in a dam
v)
The amount of petrol to fill the tank of a car
vi)
The mass of piece of A4 paper.
vii)
The height of Mount Kinabalu.
Justify each of your choices of measurement unit
3. Identify some examples of non-standard units of measurement that are commonly
used in any local community in Malaysia.
4. Explore the following two problems :
a. Do all shape with fixed area have the same perimeter?
b. Do all shape with fixed perimeter have the same area?
Tutorial 3.2
1. What is relationship between gram and litre?
2. What are the advantages of metric units of measurement?
3. Given that 1 mile =1.6 km, use a calculator to verify that a hectare is about 2.5 acres.
Show all the steps in your calculation.
4. Cullianan diamond, the largest diamond found in 1906 at the Premier Mine in South
Africa, weighed 3106 carats. Estimate the weight of cullianan diamond in pounds.
( Given that : 1 carat : 200mg, 2.2kg = 1lb, 1lb=1pound )

Tutorial 4.1
In small groups, discuss on the following :

Words, vocabulary, and language used to describe 2-D shapes and 3-D solids
Similarities and differences between
o Cube, cuboid, cylinder and prism
o Prism and pyramid
o Pyramid and cone
The relationships between
o Cube and cuboid
o Cylinder and prism
Definition of polygon and classifications of polygons according to number of sides.
Properties of n-sided polygons for 3 n 10

Tutorial 4.2
Paper folding
-Construct the following 2-D shapes by folding an A4 paper :
a) a scalene triangle
b) An isoceles triangle
c) An equilateral triangle
d) A rectangle
e) A square
f) A kite
g) A rhombus
h) A parallelogram
i) A trapezium
j) A regular pentagon
k) A regular hexagon

Tutorial 4.3
Area and perimeter of 2-D shapes
Task A : below are All possible shape constructed by joining 4 units square tiles

This is a unit square tile

1 unit
1 unit

The length of each side of this tile is 1

unit
The area of this tile is 1 unit2.

-What is the area of each of these shapes?

-What is the perimeter of each of these shapes?
-Which shapes has the minimum perimeter?

TASK B : Construct the possible shapes by joining 9 unit square tiles.

What can you say about the area of all the shapes?
Which shape has the minimum perimeter?

Make a conjugate about the shape with minimum perimeter.

Test your conjecture with shapes constructed by joining

16 unit square tiles

25 unit square tiles

* 8 unit square tiles * 5 unit square tiles

* 10 unit square tiles * 11 unit square tiles

Based on your investigation in tasks A, B and C, make a conclusion on the shape with
minimum perimeter constructed by joining unit square tiles.

\Tutorial 5.1
1.

When flipping a coin, there are only two possible outcomes : a head or a tails.
So, we say that the probability of getting a head is one out of two, that is . When
you sit for the examination at the end of this semester, there are also only two

possible outcomes : you pass or fail. So, is it right to say that the probability of you
passing the examination is also ? If yes, why? If no, why not?
2. A person in small foreign town applies for a marriage permit at the age 18. To obtain
the permit, the person is handed six strings, as shown in figure (a). On one side (top
or bottom) the ends are picked randomly, two at a time, and tied, forming three
separate knots. The same same procedure is then repeated for the other set of string
ends, forming three more knots, as in figure (b). If the strings form one closed ring,
as in figure (c), the person obtains the permits
a. Dou you think the probability of the person getting the marriage permits is
higher or lower that the probability of not getting the permit?
b. Carry out an experiment to check your guess in (a).
c. Determine the theoretical probability that the marriage permit will be obtained
on the first try.