MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOKS APPROACH TO AREA OF A RETANGLE

Abstract

This paper discuss results of a research on mapping and analyzing situations which involves area of rectangles, as a tools to study others themes and as the study object, on Brazilian mathematics textbooks for the firsts grades of elementary schools. The results reveal that a predominance on representing the area of a rectangle on squared mesh, in which the figure is in the prototypic position (largest size horizontally disposed). The numerical answers come from counting squares, as the main unity of area measure. On the one hand, the data confirm that a frequent use of area of the rectangle as a mean of the multiplication. On the other hand, it points out the need for studies on the relations between conceptual fields, as well as, on the effect of the daylife contexts on problem solving of area do rectangle.