Content Area Learning:
Language Art Learning Activities
Integrating Mathematics, Language Arts, Geography, and History
Language Art Learning Activities
Integrating Mathematics, Language Arts, Geography, and History
Lesson Plan
Written by: Kimberly Hefty,
Title: Creating Ebooks of Famous Mathematicians
Target Learners: High School Algebra 1, 9th-10th grade
Approximate Duration of Lesson: Approx. 120 mins.
Primary Learning Objectives:
Students research a famous mathematician, then create an ebooks using the online ebook platform MixBook, and share them to a classroom blog.
Rationale:
A mathematician is an expert in the field of mathematics; a person who is highly skilled and knowledgeable. It is a science that deals with numbers and their interrelations, combinations and operations, data, measurements, quantity, structure, space and generalizations. The science is extensively used in the fields of finance, engineering, industries, robotics, astronomy, business, information technology, and various other fields. Mathematicians analyze data, study patterns and develop mathematical models that not only help to further human knowledge, but are also utilized for solving problems in various fields. These scientists work in the fields of pure and applied mathematics. In the pure form of this science, the researchers work through abstract problems with the sole motive of furthering human knowledge and contributing to theory formation. On the other hand, professionals working in the applied form formulate mathematical models for problem solving in real-world situations. But these two fields are overlapping—what starts out as a theoretical study may spawn some practical applications, while applied study of maths may sometimes contribute to its theoretical base. They need to be highly analytical and technologically savvy with excellent reasoning skills.
Written by: Kimberly Hefty,
Title: Creating Ebooks of Famous Mathematicians
Target Learners: High School Algebra 1, 9th-10th grade
Approximate Duration of Lesson: Approx. 120 mins.
Primary Learning Objectives:
Students research a famous mathematician, then create an ebooks using the online ebook platform MixBook, and share them to a classroom blog.
Rationale:
A mathematician is an expert in the field of mathematics; a person who is highly skilled and knowledgeable. It is a science that deals with numbers and their interrelations, combinations and operations, data, measurements, quantity, structure, space and generalizations. The science is extensively used in the fields of finance, engineering, industries, robotics, astronomy, business, information technology, and various other fields. Mathematicians analyze data, study patterns and develop mathematical models that not only help to further human knowledge, but are also utilized for solving problems in various fields. These scientists work in the fields of pure and applied mathematics. In the pure form of this science, the researchers work through abstract problems with the sole motive of furthering human knowledge and contributing to theory formation. On the other hand, professionals working in the applied form formulate mathematical models for problem solving in real-world situations. But these two fields are overlapping—what starts out as a theoretical study may spawn some practical applications, while applied study of maths may sometimes contribute to its theoretical base. They need to be highly analytical and technologically savvy with excellent reasoning skills.
Academic Standard(s):
English: 9.5.1 – Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories that describe a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience
English: 9.5.9 - Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, and reports findings) and that:
• Demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized, that the topic has been refined through this process, and that conclusions have been drawn from synthesizing information.
• Organizes information by classifying, categorizing, and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one’s own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography.
Social Studies: WH.9.5 - Use technology in the process of conducting historical research and in the presentation of the products of historical research and current events.
Mathematics: A1.9.3 - Use the properties of the real number system and the order of operations to justify the steps of simplifying functions and solving equations.
English: 9.5.1 – Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories that describe a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience
English: 9.5.9 - Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, and reports findings) and that:
• Demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized, that the topic has been refined through this process, and that conclusions have been drawn from synthesizing information.
• Organizes information by classifying, categorizing, and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one’s own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography.
Social Studies: WH.9.5 - Use technology in the process of conducting historical research and in the presentation of the products of historical research and current events.
Mathematics: A1.9.3 - Use the properties of the real number system and the order of operations to justify the steps of simplifying functions and solving equations.
Performance Objectives:
Students in groups of two will research a particular mathematician. Student groups will create an ebook about the person. The ebooks of the entire class will be combined to make one book which will be available as a resource for other students and to be viewed by other classes. Student groups will build a model of the mathematician's concept that was proven or instrument developed by the person. A picture taken with a digital camera or any camera will be added to the student's ebook..
Instructional Strategies:
After an introduction about famous mathematicians (via sample Ebook), the teacher will invites the class to study about these men and women remembered for their contribution to the mathematics. A timeline can be started around the classroom depicting the people and the time and country in which they lived and worked. A world map can depict the countries such as Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece, Rome, Western Europe and relate the countries to the mathematicians that the students choose to study.
A list of mathematicians can be printed from web sites and each student group choses one of the famous men or women. There are 550 mathematicians alone in one web site suggested below!
The assignment:
Students in groups of two will research a particular mathematician. Student groups will create an ebook about the person. The ebooks of the entire class will be combined to make one book which will be available as a resource for other students and to be viewed by other classes. Student groups will build a model of the mathematician's concept that was proven or instrument developed by the person. A picture taken with a digital camera or any camera will be added to the student's ebook..
Instructional Strategies:
After an introduction about famous mathematicians (via sample Ebook), the teacher will invites the class to study about these men and women remembered for their contribution to the mathematics. A timeline can be started around the classroom depicting the people and the time and country in which they lived and worked. A world map can depict the countries such as Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece, Rome, Western Europe and relate the countries to the mathematicians that the students choose to study.
A list of mathematicians can be printed from web sites and each student group choses one of the famous men or women. There are 550 mathematicians alone in one web site suggested below!
The assignment:
- After researching the mathematician the student group will create a to place on the timeline in the classroom with the name of that person, the invention or theory developed, the country where he/she lived and the time in which he/she lived. The world map is marked with the mathematician's name and invention.
- The student group will create a minimum of 8 pages, ebook, on the chosen person. Each ebook should have a cover page and include references. (see details below)
- The student groups will also create a model or demonstration of the theory or instrument developed by that mathematician. This model can be in hardcopy form or an electronic presentation of the mathematician and his/her contribution to mathematics done in HyperStudio, HyperCard, Digital Chisel or some other multimedia authoring software package.
Details: Making an ebook about a famous mathematician.
The ebook should contain…- Title page must include the following elements· Name of mathematician· Picture of mathematician (if available)· Dates of birth and death of mathematician· Student’s name, class and today’s date.
- Page 2 should include where the mathematician was born. Student can add something about place of birth.
- Page 3 should include the mathematician’s career or hobbies.
- Page 4 is the main page that will tell us what the mathematician invented. It can be a formula, a theory or a solution to a problem.
- Page 5 should tell us how the invention helps us in today life.
- Page 6 student should give a reason why they picked their famous mathematician.
- Page 7 is the student’s choice … it can be a picture or equation or anything creative relating to the famous mathematician
- Page 8, the last page should be the Bibliography.
- Pythagoras, who was the earliest known teacher of mathematics developed the Pythagorean Theorem.
- Archimedes, who said, "Give me a place to stand on, and I can more the earth."
- Isaac Newton, who developed the law of gravitation and "weighed" the sun.
- Euclid of Alexandra wrote a series of textbooks about math and geometry (on papyrus).
- Galileo whose discovered a way to produce accurate pendulum-regulated clocks.
- Rene Descartes, who first wrote out a mathematical statement and called it an equation.
- John Napier, who developed "Napier's Bones, used to calculate with.
- Blaise Pascal, who invented the La Pascaline used in calculation.
- Albrecht Durer, an artist who said, "geometry is the right foundation of painting."
Materials:
Ebook site, such as Mixbook- World Atlas CD-ROM
- Encyopedia CD-ROM.
- Digital camera
- Internet connection
- Rubric for grading
Sources:
Bibliography Index http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Bibliography/index.html
Use web site for an example http://famousmathematician.com
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/mathematicians.php
Bibliography Index http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Bibliography/index.html
Use web site for an example http://famousmathematician.com
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/mathematicians.php