Importance of History of Mathematics in Math Learning

 

Importance of History of Mathematics in Math Learning Prabha Betne LaGuardia Community College Mathematics Department April 8, 200

   

Background !his presentation is about an in"uiry based learning  pro#ect that $as conducted in an %lementary %lementary &tatistics class'  !he study in(ol(ed a search o) the biographical literature about a mathematician, and an in"uiry into the (arious contributions made by him*her' +i(e groups o) students researched their sub#ects using library resources, online databases, and search engines' %ach group de(eloped a Po$erPoint presentation, incorporating images )ound on the $eb' 

 

 

Assignment The Assignm ent n this pro#ect you $ill research about a mathematician*statistician assigned to your group' Consider the )ollo$ing points to include in your research' -' Abo About ut the p perso erson n .one ssmal malll paragr paragraph/ aph/ 2' &om &omee interesting interesting situati situations ons or ee(ents (ents iin n the lli)e i)e o) this  person

   

The Assignment (continue) '

&e &ele lect ct a $ $or or1 1o o)) tthi hiss per perso son n ttha hatt rrel elat ates es to on onee o) o) tthe he topics included in your course' Discuss $hy this $or1 $as needed .$hat problem the de(elopment o) the $or1/, ho$ this $or1 led toled thetosolution o) that problem' +or eample3 the )amous thin1er A Archimedes rchimedes disco(ered the relationship bet$een density, mass and (olume 1no$n as Archimedes Archimedes principle $hen ordered by the 4ing to )ind out o ut i) there $as impurity in the 4ing5s gold cro$n' 6ou may also add your thoughts thou ghts about other applications o) this $or1'

   

Goal !he goal o) this pro#ect $as to moti(ate the students and gi(e them reasons to learn more about the people and historical contets that ha(e led to the de(elopment o) mathemat mathematics' ics'

   

O!ecti"e &tudents $ill be able to research the li(es and contributions o) mathematicians, discern $hat in)ormation is rele(ant, and create a multi7media presentation summariing $hat they ha(e learned' !his $ill moti(ate students to learn the sub#ect, and learn ho$ to $or1 in a team' !hey $ill also )ind $ays to apply $hat they are learning about their sub#ects to the course curriculum, as $ell as to other )ields o) study or employment' 

   

Acti"ity O"er"ie# +i(e groups o) )our students each $ere established' %ach group bore the name o) an important mathematician or statistician3 Andrei 4olmogro(, 4olmogro( , Carl +riedrich Gauss,!he +lorence 9ightingale, :ohn !u1ey, and ;' A' +isher' students $ere charged $ith )inding out any important and interesting e(ents in the person5s li)e, researching the contributions o) this person to the )ield o) mathematics or statistics, and describing at least one piece o) the sub#ect5s  pro)essional $or1 related to topics in the course curricula' !he students presented their $or1 utiliing Po$erPoint  presentations' 

   

$%ample of &tudents' ork  http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ctl/df/sampler /docs/pbetne/maria-nightinangale.ppt http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ctl/df/sampler /docs/pbetne/Presentation1-tukey.ppt http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ctl/df/sampler /docs/pbetne/probability-kolmogorov.ppt