You are to find, in the library, an article in your major field which uses some mathematics beyond simply arithmetic. Make a copy of the article and read it carefully.
Your paper is to have two parts. The first part is to be a summary of the article, written so that a friend of yours who has a different major can understand it. Then, work through the mathematics in the article and explain the mathematics in the article to this friend. You are allowed to consult with me or the tutors in the Mathematics Learning Center if you’re having trouble doing this; however, if you do get help, you are to say (in a footnote) from who and with what part.
The total length of your paper should be 3 – 5 double-spaced (12 point
font, 1” margin) pages and is due in class on February 12.
You have a choice of the following:
1. If you are considering teaching at the elementary/middle school level (including special ed), pick any topic we have studied this semester (or, if you’re willing to read ahead, you may pick something from chapter 8 or 10). Make up a lesson plan to teach the topic to a group of children. Be sure you decide what age group (and any other special qualities of the students) you’re aiming your lesson at. Your lesson plan must include a list of learning objectives, a sequence of activities (including an outline of any explanations you will give), and an assessment mechanism. Then put together worksheets or handouts and any manipulatives which are appropriate for the lesson. (Manipulatives are much more important when working with children or students with certain disabilities.) We will take one day of class to have you try out your lesson. (You will have about 20 – 30 minutes, and we’ll do it in groups, so you’ll only be working with about 5 members of the class.) You will be graded on the appropriateness of the lesson level for the students you’re making the lesson for, the quality of the lesson plan and materials you put together, and the quality of the actual lesson presentation.
2. Choose an article from either the New York Times Science Times section (which appears every Tuesday) or Science magazine which involves some significant amount of mathematics beyond simply tables of numbers or percents. You must check the article with me before beginning work on this paper. Summarize the article (2 pages), explain the mathematics involved (1 – 2 pages), and find an application to something in your life (1/2 – 1 page).
3. Follow up on one of the historical Margin Notes or “On a Tangent” features from one of the chapters we’ve covered. You can follow up either on a topic (such as voting theory) or on a particular mathematician. Find at least two books in our library (not including our text) which discuss the topic or figure historically. Write an essay of 3 – 5 pages (that is, at least 3 full pages, and no more than 5) summarizing what you’ve read from these sources. Your paper should include both a description of the mathematics involved (at least one page), and of the significance of this development to either the rest of mathematics or to other cultural or scientific developments. You must enclose all direct quotes in quotation marks, and cite where they come from. You must also reference paraphrases – that is, just changing a few words doesn’t exempt you from having to provide a reference. You must use proper footnoting (or endnoting) and include a bibliography.
These papers are due in class on April 16.