For most people, the word mathematics is a noun. But for many people in different cultures, mathematics is not simply something they learn in school but something they do as an intrinsic part of their everyday lives.

This book is a guide for teachers who would like to enhance their mathematics instruction by integrating it with examples and activities from cultures throughout the world. It provides culturally situated examples, each linked to Common Core objectives that show how mathematics can be so much more than a story problem or an exercise in a worksheet with little or no context.

The eleven chapters provide a range of activities from around the world that teach students key math concepts while introducing them to a diversity of cultures.

For example:

In a Mayan village in Guatemala, students use math as a means to increase the traditional corn harvest
Traditional symbols stamped on cloth in Ghana spark an exploration of geometry, measurement, and data analysis
Embroidery patterns from Bulgaria can help younger students learn about patterns, and introduce older students to fractal geometry
Klappenspiel, a popular classroom game in Germany, provides a fun application of probability analysis


Each chapter has activities for specific grade bands (K–3, 4–8, and 9–12), and all activities are designed to encourage students to discover connections among math concepts, world cultures, and their own daily lives and communities.