Research shows that students learn best when they actively participate in their learning. In particular, hands-on activities provide the greatest opportunities for gaining understanding and promoting retention. Apart from simple manipulatives, the mathematics classroom offers few options for hands-on activities. However, the history of mathematics offers many ways to incorporate hands-on learning. By bringing this material culture of mathematics into the classroom, students can experience historical applications and uses of mathematics in a setting rich in discovery and intellectual interest. This volume is a compilation of articles from researchers and educators who use the history of mathematics to facilitate active learning in the classroom. The contributions range from simple devices, such as the rectangular protractor, to elaborate models of descriptive geometry. Other chapters provide detailed descriptions on how to build and use historical models in the high school or collegiate classroom.

Hands on History: A Resource for Teaching Mathematics (Mathematical Association of America Notes, Series Number 72)

Science & Math

Shell-Gellasch, Amy

Mathematics

The Mathematical Association of America

Mina Spiegel Rees (1902-1997) was an American mathematician who had a significant impact on mathematical research and eduction in the United States. She received a PhD in mathematics at the University of Chicago, writing under the direction of L.E. Dickson. She was the head of the Mathematical Sciences Division of the Office of Naval Research during World War II and was the Dean of Graduate Studies at CUNY after the war. This book covers in depth Rees' many contributions to the US mathematical scene.

In Service to Mathematics: The Life and Work of Mina Rees

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Docent Press

An engaging new approach to teaching algebra that takes students on a historical journey from its roots to modern times.
This book’s unique approach to the teaching of mathematics lies in its use of history to provide a framework for understanding algebra and related fields. With Algebra in Context, students will soon discover why mathematics is such a crucial part not only of civilization but also of everyday life. Even those who have avoided mathematics for years will find the historical stories both inviting and gripping.
The book’s lessons begin with the creation and spread of number systems, from the mathematical development of early civilizations in Babylonia, Greece, China, Rome, Egypt, and Central America to the advancement of mathematics over time and the roles of famous figures such as Descartes and Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci). Before long, it becomes clear that the simple origins of algebra evolved into modern problem solving. Along the way, the language of mathematics becomes familiar, and students are gradually introduced to more challenging problems. Paced perfectly, Amy Shell-Gellasch and J. B. Thoo’s chapters ease students from topic to topic until they reach the twenty-first century. 
By the end of Algebra in Context, students using this textbook will be comfortable with most algebra concepts, including 
• Different number bases • Algebraic notation • Methods of arithmetic calculation • Real numbers • Complex numbers • Divisors • Prime factorization • Variation • Factoring • Solving linear equations • False position • Solving quadratic equations • Solving cubic equations • nth roots • Set theory • One-to-one correspondence • Infinite sets • Figurate numbers • Logarithms • Exponential growth • Interest calculations

Algebra in Context: Introductory Algebra from Origins to Applications

Thoo, John

Johns Hopkins University Press

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