25 September 2014, 4:00pm
Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story – using ‘History of Mathematics’ in the classroom, Richard Simpson (Council Secretary of the British Society for the History of Mathematics)
Abstract
This talk will focus on aspects of using mathematical history to enhance teaching in the classroom. Some topics work better than others and using examples from his own teaching experience the author will explore why this can be so. There’s no doubt that pupils can be highly motivated by doing things that made their forebears famous and opportunities for cross-curricular exploration abound. That said, some care is needed. Pupils tend compartmentalise their studies and talking about ‘history’ in a ‘maths’ lesson can be unsettling for some. Furthermore diversion from a perceived
tough examination path can unsettle the less confident. But the use of ‘history’ not only helps very much to answer the question ‘Why are we doing this?’ but also shows how mathematics pervades every aspect of human activity.
This talk will be of interest to all mathematically inclined people. Given the IMA environment, the emphasis will be more towards ‘applications’ than pure theory. Examples will range from Archimedes’ ‘method’ ideas to Stanislaw Ulam’s Monte Carlo integration.
The speaker, Richard Simpson, taught mathematics for 15 years at King Edward’s School, Birmingham and, now in retirement, is the Council Secretary of the British Society for the History of Mathematics.
