Historical Mathematician Project

Project Due Date:

Introduction:

  • People throughout history have had a passion for mathematics.
  • You will use the Internet and other traditional sources to research historically significant mathematicians, write a paper, and creatively present research in class.

Student Project Guidelines:

1)PowerPoint Document: 7-10 slide research presentation that covers these areas:

a)Title Page

b)Early Life

c)Education and Mathematical work (including the effect on our world and thought)

d)Later Life

e)Bibliography of all sources used

f)Photo or drawing of the Mathematician

g)The research paper may include summaries of stories read in books.

2)Presentation: a 5-10 minute presentation.

Evaluation:

  • The PowerPoint document will be graded on neatness, sentence structure, spelling, grammar and completeness.
  • The presentation will be graded on creativity, visuals, content, length and clarity of speech.

Possible Resources:

  • Mathematicians:
  • Women:
  • Math Facts and Fun:
  • Math Quotations:
  • Math Forum:
  • WomenII:
  • Website relevant to the History of Mathematics:
  • Biographies of Women Mathematicians site is:
  • History of Mathematics Timeline
  • AIMS Historical Figures Books: Volumes I, II, III: These books have lessons to do that relate to the mathematician.
  • Mathematicians Are People Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, Volumes I and II

Copyright © 1998 Kings County Office of Education

List of Possible Names to Research

Copyright © 1998 Kings County Office of Education

  • Agnesi, Maria
  • Archimedes
  • Aristotle
  • al'Khwarizmi, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa
  • Banneker, Benjamin
  • Banneker, Benjamin again
  • Bolyai, Janos
  • Carver, George Washington
  • Carver, George Washington again
  • Cavalieri, Bonaventura
  • Descartes, Rene
  • Drew, Charles Richard
  • du Chatelet, Gabrielle Emilie
  • Eratosthenes
  • Euclid
  • Euler, Leonhard
  • de Fermat, Pierre
  • Gauss, Carl Friedrich
  • Germain, Sophie
  • Granville, Evelyn Boyd
  • Gregory, James
  • Hopper, Grace
  • Hypatia
  • Hypatia again
  • Just, Ernest
  • Just, Ernest again
  • Khayyam, Omar
  • Kovalevsky, Sonya
  • Kowa, Seki
  • Latimer, Lewis Howard
  • Lovelace, Ada Byron
  • Lovelace, Ada Byron again
  • Matzeliger, Jan Ernst
  • Morgan, Garrett
  • Newton, Sir Issaac
  • Noether, Emmy
  • Nunez, Pedro
  • Pascal, Blaise
  • Pythagoras
  • Raman, Chandrasekhra Venkata
  • Ramanujan, Srinivasa
  • Russell, Bertrand
  • Shih-Chieh, Chu
  • Somerville, Mary Fairfax
  • Taniyama, Yutaka
  • Thales
  • Turing, Alan
  • Viete, Francois
  • Wallis, John
  • Woods, Granville T.
  • Young, Grace Chisholm

Copyright © 1998 Kings County Office of Education

HISTORICAL MATHEMATICIAN PROJECT

TEACHER EVALUATION FORM

Student Name:

Historical Mathematician:

A. Presentation

Creativity (5)_____

Length (5) _____

Clarity of Speech(5)_____

B. PowerPoint Document

Title Page (10)_____

Early Life (10)_____

Education (10)_____

Mathematical Work (10)_____

Later Life (10)_____

Bibliography (10)_____

Photo or Drawing (10)_____

Spelling, grammer and sentence structure(15)_____

Total Score:______

General Comments:

Copyright © 1998 Kings County Office of Education