Blog Response: Why teach the history of mathematics?

 

I believe math history could be incorporated into my own math teaching as students will have a better sense of understanding at math and it will be more approachable for them. When I think about my past math classes, I used to get some mathematic facts, formulas and learned how to apply those in a question. Although there were some real-life related word problems that we could apply what we've learned in class, it wasn't that a lot. I think many students think that math is so different than the other subjects such as social studies or sciences as numbers appear most of the times and they think there is no connection between social issues. However, when students have a chance to know about history of math, they might find some interests at math and math can become more approachable for them as they know some math background instead of starting with math contents right away. 

There were few things that I agreed at while reading this article. One of them was we can use math history as a resource. Students could be motivated and engaged as math history provides some relevant questions or problems. Students could learn not only history of the math, but they can also relate some questions to their current learning content. 

Another agreement that I made was that students can grow their skills that is not associated only with math development. Through learning history of math, they can also learn reading, writing, discussion, and documenting skills. 

I was surprised that grade 8 students had a chance to learn historical aspects, proofs in various cultures, and historical narratives about Pythagorean theorem through the textbook. I think this would help a lot to student's understanding rather than introducing brief proof about the Pythagorean theorem and start doing the actual questions that this theorem must be used. 

After reading this piece, I could learn that there exist various ways that math history can be involved as experimental math activities such as games, plays, films, or notations. Students can play ancient games and analyze their strategies, they could learn through the film that is related to the history of math or they could have an opportunity to practice writing different kinds of numbers in math systems and be familiar at ancient numeration systems.