PME28 – 2004 1–347 FARM MATHEMATICS

In terms of out-of-school mathematics, life in the countryside can surprise and amuse us more than we expect. Mathematics is not just cloistered in technology and advanced problems but also and in rural countryside activities. Rural life is the pillar of the primary sector of any society we can thing of. Regardless the development and technology of first world countries, rural life plays a little role in the base of its structure. Activities such as feeding animals, shearing, vaccinating, preparing the land to be cultivated, preparing the animals for reproduction, recollecting eggs, or simply identifying animals are tasks from the farmers ’ daily routines which include lots of mathematical processes. I believe there is a need to identify the mathematical content and procedures outside the formal environment of Mathematics in order to understand better the “lifelong learning ” phenomena in which adults are immersed. For instance, a farm is a simple example of a non-formal location where to discover and analyse the processes and the mathematical knowledge involved in them. People who learn to solve problems ‘on the job ’ often have to do it differently fro