A Critical Numeracy Approach to a Contemporary Issue

Running head: A CRITICAL NUMERACY APPROACH 1
A Critical Numeracy Approach to a Contemporary Issue
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A CRITICAL NUMERACY APPROACH 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Critical Numeracy Approach to a Contemporary Issue...............................................................3
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
The use of critical numeracy.....................................................................................................3
The current issue of interest.........................................................................................................4
The process of mathematising the contemporary issue..........................................................5
Student activity..............................................................................................................................8
Student background knowledge...............................................................................................9
Required resources in mathematising the problem................................................................9
The Four-Resource Numeracy Model....................................................................................12
Orientation question............................................................................................................12
De-coding and mean making..............................................................................................12
Analysis.................................................................................................................................12
Using......................................................................................................................................14
Debriefing.............................................................................................................................14
Activity modification for ESL students..................................................................................14
Activity opportunity within and out of the curriculum........................................................14
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................16
References..................................................................................................................................17

A CRITICAL NUMERACY APPROACH 3
A Critical Numeracy Approach to a Contemporary Issue
Introduction
Numeracy approaches such as mathematics are very crucial in the study if human
psychology as it helps to define and deal with logic, decision-making, and the ability to solve
problems (Cokely et al., 2018). The combination of these aspects form the cornerstones of
illustrating the functioning of the human mind and the likelihood to undertake a particular course
of actions. Psychologists have arguably claimed that the use of mathematics is applied in nearly
every aspect of the individuals’ lives with or without their awareness (Carney and Crawford,
2016). Concisely, this has led to attempts and efforts by the mathematics tutors and teachers to
help the learners in understanding and relating the real-life experiences and the subject as well as
its application. Moreover, the mathematical knowledge, which falls under skills in mathematics
are required in understanding, calculating and interpreting findings and results of the
experiments and studies that underline most areas in the school curriculum. Therefore, the report
seeks to critic the numeracy approaches to contemporary issues, in essence, real-life experiences
in a learning environment among the students, which can also be applied out of class by the
students (Yasukawa, Rogers, Jackson, and Street, 2018).
The use of critical numeracy
The critical numeracy is the ability to discern decisions about daily events and activities
that involve mathematical concepts (Geiger, Forgasz, and Goos, 2015). The resources required
for the critical numeracy model are in line with the critical lens that aid in the design of teaching
and learning activities by making thinking a visible phenomenon to the students. Concisely, the
critical numeracy lens forms the basis upon which the learners make judgments and conclusions
towards various events through the combination of other literacies and lenses such as critical

A CRITICAL NUMERACY APPROACH 4
literacy, environmental, philosophical, social, historical, scientific, aesthetic, ethnical, spiritual,
and emotional that builds the capacities for wise citizenship after school (Mills, 2015). Although
the psychologists encourage all the learning systems to appreciate that mathematics can be taught
in the context of the math’s lessons, it is vital that the development of the numeracy approaches
call for the use of mathematics beyond the classroom learning for the experience across the
commitment to the curriculum (Yasukawa et al., 2018).
The current issue of interest
The world today experiences many contemporary issues revolve around social, economic,
or political problems that affect the people. One of the problems that are prevalent in the media
streams and social platforms that has raised several motions among the scholars is the measles
epidemic and the reasons why it is deadly thus making its vaccination very vital (The
Conversation, 2019). Interestingly, a significant number of scholars have carried out research
studies to establish the intermediate causes of measles and its spread across the world. The
Conversation magazine reports that the diseases have been on the rise for the past two decades
thus raising the concern in the media and other international agencies. Concisely, it is ascertained
that some people believe that measles is a childhood disease that with mild effects to the
functioning of the body because of lack of knowledge on the impact and the causes of the disease
among the people thus prompting debates and discussions of the deadly disease (The
Conversation, 2019).
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads at a high rate among naïve
populations. Moreover, the virus is claimed to have decimated the American people on the verge
of its discovery since the people had no natural immunity to the virus, which was later spread to
Europe. The use of mathematics through the numbers has enabled the stakeholders to determine