Mathematics in Kosraean Weaving Mathematics in Kosraean Weaving: Identification and Possible Integration in Culturally Responsive Mathematics Curriculum Latika Raisinghani 1 Mathematics in Kosraean Weaving Mathematics in Kosraean Weaving: Identification and Possible Integration in Culturally Responsive Mathematics Curriculum Latika Raisinghani Assistant Professor Education and Science Department College of Micronesia-FSM Kosrae FM 96944 Micronesia E-mail:
[email protected] 2 Mathematics in Kosraean Weaving Introduction This paper focuses on identification and description of mathematical ideas, patterns and thinking involved in the making of specific artifacts of weaving (otwot) in Kosrae, using coconut leaves and fibers (sroacnu), pandanus leaves (lol) and hibiscus bast (ne), and their possible integration in a culturally responsive Mathematics curriculum. Kosrae (pronounced as Ko-shry), also called the “Island of the Sleeping Lady”, is the only island state within the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) that does not have any outer islands. It is of volcanic origin and is believed to have been formed by the shifting of the great Pacific Tectonic Plate, which was later called the Caroline Plate, approximately 3,000,000 years ago. Kosrae had many other names as well: Kusaie, Katau, Kato, Kosiu, Kusae, Carao Tevya, Strong’s Island, Hope Island; however, the people who found it used none of these. They called it Kosrae (Segal, 1995). Dr. Ernst Sarfert described Kosrae as “the most beautiful island of the great ocean, as honoring its name ‘Gem of the Pacific’ indicates, which it received at the time of its highest popularity with the white people” (Sarfert, 1919). Kosrae covers an area of 42.31 square miles and is roughly triangular in shape.