Land of Three Oceans Extracts from a lecture given at Rudolf Steiner House, Sydney, May 8, 2001 Even though Saint Francis of Assisi had created communities of caring for the sick and afflicted, his impoverished patients, more often than not, languished. The Medieval medical skills available to him, based often on superstition and spurious invention, […]
BOOK: What is X? Why is Y?
What is X? Why is Y? Steiner’s 3-Fold Commonwealth
RUDOLF STEINER’S 3-FOLD COMMONWEALTH What has an exposition on Rudolf Steiner’s Threefold Commonwealth to do with a book on maths teaching? Well, important lanes on the numbers highway are economics in general, and finance in particular (two different things actually). Steiner education works so well due to the teacher being informed on the spiritual reality […]
What is X? Why is Y? The Four Cosmic Curves
THE FOUR COSMIC CURVES Note that Earthschooling tackles this in high school… The cone contains the four primary mathematical principles of creation (see diagram A). In horizontal section we have the Circle, the curve of beginning – ‘…and God divided…’! The circle is the curve of Division, of the physical or structural body – the […]
What is X? Why is Y? Math Texts in 7th and 8th Grade
TRIAL BY TEXTBOOK So we’ve had our three maths main lessons in Class 8, and used a wide range of numeracy skills in many other units throughout the year – is this enough? Alas no – mathematics is a subject, especially in this techno-mad age, requiring continual, sequential and incremental development, in particular in concept-challenged […]
What is X? Why is Y? Logarithms in 8th Grade
THE LOGOS OF NUMBER Logarithms – Class 8 – Main Lesson The student teacher’s face was a mask of misery as she sat beside the hospital bed – more miserable even than the old-hand high school teacher occupying said bed with a broken leg! “But I know so little about maths!” Student Teacher protested “How […]
What is X? Why is Y? Personal Finance in 8th Grade
MY WORD IS MY BOND Personal Finance – Class 8 – Main Lesson The Iranian god Mithra was born from a rock; his mission, to serve an earth-bound humanity. He sits on the right-hand side of Ahura Mazdao, the Sun God. Mithra slew the Cosmic Bull; whose blood subsequently nourished the sentient animal world – […]
What is X? Why is Y? Geometry in Architecture for 8th Grade
BUILDING BLOCKS OF NUMBER Geometry in Architecture – Class 8 – Main Lesson As a Class Guardian for the new pioneer high school class in Lorien Novalis School in 1981, I took Rudolf Steiner’s injunction on the need for specialist teachers in secondary school seriously – even for my Class 8. So having few maths […]
What is X? What is Y? Problem Solving in 7th Grade Math
CIRCLES AND CYCLES Problem-solving – Class 7 – Middle Lesson The very first number concept presented to Class 1 children on the first day of their first maths main lesson – Counting – was the Circle. From this eternal symbol of Unity, all other created phenomena derive, whether numerical or otherwise. This lovely but oh-so-simple […]
What is X? Why is Y? Math and Maps in 7th Grade
MINOTAUR MEETS MAPMAKER Maths & Maps – Class 7 – Middle Lesson “So you’ve found your way into my Labyrinth? Finding the way in has never been a problem;” said the Minotaur in menacing tones to young Theseus, the Class 7 teacher “it’s finding your way out that’s the tricky bit!” The Minotaur was indeed […]
What is X? Why is Y? Physics in 7th Grade
MOKE UP A GUM TREE Mechanics – Class 7 – Main Lesson “What did you do at school today children?” asked Mother of her twins, Tan and Lily. “We hung Nyyl’s Mini Moke up in a tree.” Answered Tan carelessly as he colored in a drawing on his home assignment. “No seriously; you know your […]
What is X? Why is Y? Economics in 7th Grade
FLOTILLA OF FRATERNITY Economics – Class 7 – Main Lesson This can also be used with the business class in 6th grade… The Secretary-to-the-Prime-Minister sat at the side of the classroom watching the group of curious Class 7 children stroll in. His face was stern, judgmental even; after all, he has been sent to the […]
What is X? Why is Y? Algebra in 7th Grade
“Al-Jabr means union of the parts.” Algebra – Class 7 – Main Lesson “Al-jabr means ‘union’ – of the parts.” Said old Al Jabr cheerily to the frowning Class 7 teacher. The two were new friends, having just met in the small park outside the local mosque. Taur had that same frown even then, which […]