In this article, we approach the subject of the sense attribution to teaching and learning situations and we look for an alternative that allows the student to notice the importance of mathematics. It is with this perspective that we introduce mathematical modeling activities and we associate the students' development in classroom with aspects of the Leontiev Activity Theory. Two ideas seem to converge. On one side, to attribute sense and to build meanings in mathematics teaching and learning situations, it is necessary to approach situations that can establish relationships between the Mathematics and the students' life. On the other hand, mathematical modelling activities can connect the classroom's mathematics with the problems of the community to which the students belong. When we developed a proposal for mathematical modeling activities with High School students, starting from the analysis of the information that we collected, we identified three conditions that can show the sense attribution and meaning in a modelling activity, taking into account the established relationships. The first condition refers to cases where the students face a problem that has for them subjective importance, in other words, when the problem is in fact a problem for them. The second condition refers to cases of critical engagement and transfer of learning of a modelling situation for other situations lived by the students. The third condition occurs when the students try to make relevant the use of the mathematics in the approach to a problem.
Mathematics Education; Mathematics modeling; sense attribution