The use of manipulative didactic material and fractal geometry for the learning of the concepts of area and square perimeter: a case study involving a student with low vision

Abstract

This article presents the report of a case study related to the mathematical contents area and perimeter of squares. Aiming to contemplate Mathematical themes created in the contemporaneity, the fractal Sierpinski Carpet, whose construction is related to squares, was studied. The pedagogical experience occurred with a student who has low vision, from the 6th grade of Elementary School of a public school located in the city of Blumenau (SC), with the intention of contributing to the learning of the concepts of area and perimeter of squares. In the text, initially, some considerations are presented for the educational attendance of visually impaired people. Next, the topics of Euclidean and fractal geometry are addressed, which were focused on the pedagogical action reported. Finally, it is described the manipulative didactic material, cut in E.V.A., previously analyzed and approved by the teacher of the multifunctional room of the school attended by the student, being reported its application and presented the results obtained. The student did not present difficulties in identifying the figures presented in the material, realized correctly the counting of squares and understood the concepts of area and perimeter of squares. However, it found difficulty in using the adapted ruler, confusing the origin of the object with zero where the measure should be initiated. The manipulation of the didactic material described in this article helped in the understanding of the concepts of area and perimeter of squares and also made possible the construction, through the fitting of pieces, of the fractal Sierpinski Carpet.