Famous Mathematician Book
Course(s)/Subject(s): Mathematics
Grade Level(s): 7 -12
Key Words: technology, mathematician, biography, web
research
Developer(s) Name: Kay Shear
School: c
Attached Files: Famous Mathematician
Book
Approximate Time Frame: Three block periods plus out of class
time.
Materials/Equipment Needed: Internet ready computers (one for
each is preferable - pairs at most) with word processing. Copies of
instruction handout for students. Disks for students.
Description of Lesson (includes context): This lesson can be
done at any point of the year as part of a portfolio, writing project
or computer lab time. The lesson includes research from web sites,
copying and pasting graphics and/or text from the Internet to a word
processing document and composing a final draft of a booklet.
1. What is the objective of this lesson?
VA FCPS POS Standards: Mathematics Standard 6:
Communicate Mathematically and Standard 8: Mathematics conceptual
connections within and outside mathematics.
VA FCPS POS Benchmarks: 6.1 and 8.1
VA FCPS POS Indicators: 6.1.2 and 8.1.2
VA SOL(s) (including Computer/Technology): C/T 8.1 Compose and
edit a multi-page document at the keyboard, using word processing
skills and the writing process. Integrate databases, graphics, and
spreadsheets into word-processed documents. C/T 8.2 Use local and
worldwide network communications systems. C/T 8.4 Use search
strategies to retrieve electronic information.
2. What will we examine as evidence of students
knowledge and/or skill?
Product(s): A five page booklet containing a summary
biography, pictures, quotes demonstrating the ability to search the
Internet, summarize information, copy from the Internet and word
process.
Performance(s): A presentation before the class could be done
either orally or using
a slide show.
3. What exactly will the students and teacher do during
the lesson?
Directions to students for proceeding with the lesson:
- You will be doing a web research project on a mathematician.
You will need to find, summarize, and write a booklet about the
person you are researching. We will be in the computer lab for
three days.
- The first day, you will focus on research. Find all of the
information you need to answer all of the questions on the
handout. Open a word processing document and copy any pictures or
quotes you may use. INCLUDE THE WEB ADDRESS OF EACH WEB SITE AS
YOU COPY THE INFORMATION. Print out research you know you will use
and highlight it for later summarizing.
- Once you can answer all the questions, start your booklet. It
will be five pages long. Use your handout to decide what goes on
each page. There will be a picture or graphic for each page.
- If you are summarizing, make sure you write the information in
your own words so you are not plagiarizing. ASK IF YOU ARE NOT
SURE.
Directions to teacher/administrator using the
lesson?
- Before beginning this project, review the differences between
quoting, summarizing, and plagiarism. Show students how to cite a
web address for their references. Demonstrate how to copy
pictures, text and images from the Web to a word processing
document.
- Decide whether to assign mathematicians or allow students to
choose their own. Assigning has its advantages.
- Assign due date and presentation date(s).
- Supervise web research to keep students from getting stuck or
overwhelmed. Students will need to print out their research and
highlight or otherwise read it before composing.
- In seating for the computers, try to spread out the
computer whiz kids -- they are very helpful!
4. What options in presentation(s) and/or response(s)
are suggested in order to provide the opportunity for all students to
demonstrate achievement of the benchmark(s) and indicator(s)?
Students can be overwhelmed by the huge quantities of data available
on some mathematicians (like Pythagoras). Likewise, some
mathematicians have scant information, and students may find they
cannot flesh out all requested information. To facilitate these
students, choose a mathematician with a moderate amount of
information available on the suggested web site and do not encourage
them to search other web sites.
For the gifted student, assign a mathematician requiring extensive
research or request that the description the mathematicians
discoveries be in his or her own words, not quoted.
This project is an opportunity to provide role models to minority
students and possibly engage disinterested learners. If
mathematicians are assigned to students, try to match for nationality
and gender.