Allow Me to

Introduce . . .

A Mathematician

 

A WebQuest for 7th/8th Grade (Math)

Designed by

Mrs. Mary Ellen Haldeman

haldemanm@clementon.k12.nj.us

 

&

 

Ms. Michelle Theriault

theriaultm@clementon.k12.nj.us

 

 

Introduction | Task | Process | Learning Advise | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits


Introduction

You may choose a Mathematician from the web site: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jamesdow/Tech/mathmen.htm or you may choose a mathematician on your own.  You will research this mathematician and elaborate on what you believe to be his/her most important contribution to the math world.  A paper will be written on the person you chose and you will present your findings to the class with the use of one or more visual aids. 


The Task

 

  • Choose the mathematician you want to research
  • Turn in a paper with a picture of the mathematician, a brief reason for choosing him/her, and their important contribution to math (Due one week after assignment is given)
  • Write a 2-4-page paper on your mathematician.  Include background information, contribution and explanation or proof of contribution.
  • Present your mathematician and topic
  • Presentation must include use of visual aids such as power point, poster, etc.
  • You can begin by searching through www.yahoo.com or www.google.com or using some of the links below
  • Good luck and explore your resources to discover new information!

 


The Process

 

  • Read information on the listed mathematicians and choose one to research.
  • Pick a contribution your mathematician made to math that you find to be important.
  • Find 5 to 10 facts about your mathematician’s background to use in paper.
  • Write a paper about your mathematician.  Paper will include much of your own opinion of contribution and importance of it.
  • Design a presentation to give to your class on your mathematician.  Make sure to utilize a visual aid.
  • Be sure to ask me if you need any help with using visual aids.
  • Remember your mathematician, reason, and topic are due a week after project is assigned.

 

 

Learning Advice

If anyone needs help getting started, please ask Mrs. Haldeman, Ms. Theriault, Ms. Procopio, or Mr. O’Brien.  Feel free to use any websites you find on your own.  Although we would like you to use the internet you can also use the library or other books for information.  You should have at least half of the sources you use be from the internet.

Also, keep in mind that plagiarism is never acceptable.  You are using the internet as a resource, which means that you gain knowledge from the internet or other sources, but you write the paper in your own words.  Any words that are directly printed from a source need to be quoted and cited as a reference.

 


Evaluation

·        Intro 20% - Intro paper including mathematician, reason, and topic

·        Background Facts 10% - 5 to 10 facts on mathematician’s background

·        Paper 30% - 2 to 4 page paper on mathematician and contribution to math

·        Sources 5% - At least 2 sources used (One of which has to be from the internet)

·        Presentation 30% - Presentation on mathematician (should be about 2 to 5 min. long)

·        Visual Aid 5% - Effective use of visual aid in presentation

 


Conclusion

The students will learn about people who discovered much of the math we learn today.  They will then have the opportunity to learn in detail a topic or proof that they find important to students learning math.  They get to elaborate on their opinion of the math topics they are learning in school.  Students will also be able to gain much experience with using computers and the internet to explore stuff they want to learn about.  Presentation skills are also developed as they present their topic using a visual aid.


Credits & References

 

·        http://euler.ciens.ucv.ve/English/mathematics/ - List many famous mathematicians with brief bios.

·        http://www.sci.hkbu.edu.hk/scilab/math/math.html - Biographies of other popular mathematicians.

·        http://www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/HistMath/People/RBallHist.html - Very extensive list of influential mathematicians.

Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

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