Using Analogies and Metaphors to Understand Math Concepts


Analogies: Simple analogies challenge students to test their thinking.  Posing some analogies and then asking them to discuss their answers with a partner will give students opportunities to talk about the connections between words and the subtleties of word meanings.
  • Addition is to sum as subtraction is to ________________.
  • Five is to pentagon as ________ is to octagon.
  • Inch is to mile as _______ is to kilometer.
  • Degree is to temperature as pound is to ___________.


Use Metaphor to Understand Large Numbers
  • Draw a line approximately 4 inches long.
    • Label the left end of the line "one million".
    • Label the right end of the line "one trillion".
    • Mark a mark on the line indicating where 6 billion, 200 million would fall.
    • Give students the following metaphor: If we had 10,000 dollar bills and we stacked them one million dollars = approximately 4 inches. One billion dollars = 300 feet or about 1 block; One trillion dollars = 63 miles.

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