Lesson Idea

Title:​ The Importance of Mathematics

Content:​ Mathematics
Grade Level:​ 6th grade
Standard Addressed:​ MGSE6.EE.6​ Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions
when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent
an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.
Amount of Time:​ 3 class periods (2 class periods for research and creation, 1 class period for
presentation)
Technology Standard Addressed:​ 3 - Knowledge Constructor
SMAR Level:​ Modification
Essential Question(s):​ Where would modern day mathematics be without our past
mathematicians? What would math look like? Would we have some of the jobs and careers
that we have today?
Learning Activity:
Introduction:​ ​Teacher will pose this question to students: “What do you think math would be
like today without past mathematicians?” Teacher will inform students that past
mathematicians impacted modern day mathematics and influenced how we perform
mathematics today. Without them, modern mathematics would be performed, taught, and
learned differently. Teacher will inform students that this activity/project will focus around past
mathematicians and their impact on today’s modern mathematics.
Instruction/Activities​:​ Students will be divided into groups of three or four for this project. Each
student will research and record information on a historical mathematician and their impact on
mathematics. This research can be done on a device through credible internet sources and/or
an online library database. As students research, they will brainstorm and take notes of the
mathematician’s accomplishments/discoveries, when and where these discoveries took place,
how this impacted mathematics, and what mathematics would like today if this mathematician
had not made these discoveries. Once research has been collected, students will begin
collaborating on their final product.
Final Product:​ The final product is a Powerpoint presentation and movie, mp4. Each student
will create two slides on their group Powerpoint presentation to display the information they
collected. (For a group of four, there should be 8 slides of research/information). One of the
slides will include a photo of the chosen mathematician with their name. The second slide will
include the research collected. Once all group members have completed their two slides,
students will voice record their presentation and attach it to their project. Finally, the
 Lesson Idea

Powerpoint presentation will be converted into an MP4 file and posted on the classroom
website.
Evaluation or deliverable: The students will present their projects on the dedicated final day
using either their PPTX or their MP4. This project will be evaluated with a rubric by the teacher.
The rubric is divided into content, collaboration, creativity, and presentation.
Reflective Practice:
Are there any additional activities or tools that would extend or enhance the lesson idea
above?
To enhance the lesson idea, students could present in a role play context as if they were the
mathematician’s presenting their discoveries themselves. A mathematical video could be
shown at the beginning of the lesson during introduction to help visual and auditory learners.
To extend this lesson, a guest speaker in the field of mathematics (i.e. a professor) could have a
Q&A session with the students about historical mathematicians via video chat or in person.
Could something be added to the activity to extend it to a higher Bloom’s level or technology
level?
Currently, this project places students at the “Create” (level 6) of Bloom’s taxonomy.
Additionally, students could create this project on another technology platform, like Prezi or
other presentation platform, to broaden their experience with technology.
Is the project such that it can be published to share with people outside the classroom? If so,
what additions would you make to the lesson idea to make this happen?
Yes, this project can be published to share outside of the classroom via MP4. This file can be
posted on the classroom website. This video can be played on any device outside of the
classroom.