Develop Your Child's Appreciation for Mathematics Through Writing
A Suggestion
In the recent article, Write About Mathematicians In Non-Major Courses, appearing in the November 2008 MAA FOCUS, Professor Karl-Dieter Crisman reports the effects of requiring his students to write about people who do mathematics.
He reported students found something interesting about the person whom they chose to write. And some gained a helpful insight into their personal studies and formed a better attitude toward the mathematics.
In the words of the professor:
My experience is that essentially all students (often to my surprise) report that they learned something quite interesting about the individual they chose. ... Most gratifying to me was that many students also seemed to gain real perspective about their own studies and future from learning about the challenges these real people faced in life, which promoted a better attitude toward mathematics in general by the end.
Recently I posted to this site an article about Benjamin Bannecker. The intent of the article was to expose this self-taught mathematical talent to those who missed his story during their studies and readings. As I retraced Bannecker's life, I felt I accompanied him from a parallel world observing the facts and stories as his life unfolded in my research.
In other words, Bannecker became a person to me and I came to know him intimately. As with any close acquaintance, I began to formulate my thoughts of his behavior and reactions to disputed things in his life. I found myself saying, "Bannecker wouldn't do that." When he took bold political stances, I exhorted him with a "Right On Ben!"
As I learned more about Bannecker, my desire to understand his mathematical and scientific contributions grew. I dare say, I came to understand the effects of his moral, political, ethical and social life on his academic pursuits.
Professor Crisman observed a similar positive effect on his students' attitudes. This effect suggests that writing about people who do mathematics can kindle a student's appreciate for mathematics by identifying with its author.
Writing exercise are time consuming and the work of keeping abrest of one's school work leave little free time. Thus these writing exercises are best undertaken during light periods of home assignments - for instance during long vacations or summers.
The Assignment:
Write a three-page essay about a person who does mathematics.
The essay should present some important facts about the person's life and the student's perspective about this individual. The students should support his feelings and highlight an application of his subject's work.
Books to examine:
E. T. Bell Men of Mathematics
H. Midonick The Treasury if Mathematics
D. Campbell & J. C. Higgins MATHEMATICS: People, Problems, Results
Also see the works of Dirk Struik and Howard Eves.
Professor Crisman presented the following categories to find a subject.
(Old) Greek Mathematicians: Pappus, Archimedes, Apollonius, Euclid, Zeno, Democritus, Pythagoras
Female Mathematicians: Emmy Nether, Julia Robinson, Karen Hollenbeck, Karen Smith, Sophie Germaine, Fan Chung, Ingrid Dubieties, Florence Nightingale
Non-Western Mathematicians: Ramanujan, Al-Khwarizimi, Omar Khayyam, Lui Hui, Brahmagupta, G. Shimura, H. Hironaka, the Rhind Papyrus, Plimpton 322
Mathematicians who died young or violently or may have had mental illness: Nash (not deceased yet), Ramanujan, Riemann, Erdos, Boltzmann, Cantor, Galois, Abel
Mathematicians who thought (well or poorly) about God: Pascal, Descartes, Galileo, Laplace, Kronecker, Kepler, Russell, Hardy, Euler, Riemann, Ramanujan, Erdos, Cauchy
"Mathematicians" primarily known for something else: Pascal, Descartes, Mersenne, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Pauli, Zeno, E. T. Bell, Stephen Wolfram, Charles Bell Jr.
Some influential 20 th century Mathematicians: David Blackwell, Von Neumann, Poincare, Emile Borel
For students love to build models, consider assigning a three-page essay about Peaucellier's Cell. The essay should introduce Captain Peaucellier, give an explanation of "the cell", discuss its importance and present the student's perspective on Captain Peaucelleir.
If a student finds no interests in the above suggestions, allow him to make a choice.
Published by Lloyd Gavin
Lloyd is a retired mathematics teacher. His writing interests are on teaching mathematics and Bible scripture. He loves travel, movies, popular psychology and constructing fine furniture as time permits. View profile
Make a Child's Growth ChartChildren grow up so fast. Here's a craft to do that will keep track of your child's growth. 
Methods for Displaying and Organizing Your Child's ArtworkYou often hear that you can't keep all of your child's artwork through the years. Perhaps this is true, but we can rely on these methods to at least keep and organize what you d...
How to Be an Effective Room Parent for Your Child's ClassIf you're just been asked to be a room parent for your child's class, you may not know what to do first. Here are a few tips to help you out.- Can a New Hair Cut Boost Your Child's Self Esteem?This is an article for parents who are concerned about their child's self esteem and are looking for ways to improve it!
How to Practice Child's Pose in Your Yoga RoutineCultivate a better foundation for your yoga practice by honing this key resting pose, Child's Pose.
- Inner Child
- ADHD and Early Onset Bi-Polar Child
- Talking to Your Child About Sex Abuse
- How to Decide If Your Child Should Repeat a Grade
- Should Your Child Repeat a Grade?
- How to Help Your ADD/ADHD Child with Nutrition
- How to Talk to Your Child's Teacher
- Writing about something can excite an interest in the topic.
- An appreciations for mathematics can be developed.