Chamale 1

Jacqueline Chamale
EDU 280
Dr. Flowers
07 March 2022
Mathematician’s Cultural Differences
10th Grade
General Goal(s):
- Students will be able to understand the many cultural differences amongst well-known
mathematicians and how their past has allowed them to become prominent math figures
with great contributions to the field.
Specific Objectives:
- Students will be able to evaluate the different types of cultural backgrounds of four
famous mathematicians.
- Students will be able to understand how the mathematicians' life growing up influenced
their career in math.
- Students will be able to conduct research using the internet to produce a poster about
their famous mathematician.
- Students will be able to recognize how their mathematician has contributed to the math
field.
Required Materials:
- Pencil and paper
- Projector
- Devices with internet access
- Poster making materials (markers, poster paper, glue, printer)
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):
- “Good morning class! We are going to start the day off by answering one simple warmup
question: What makes your culture unique in comparison to others? Take a couple of
minutes and write down your response and we will come together to share aloud once
everyone is done.”
Step-By-Step Procedures:
1. I will begin by opening the class with a warm-up related to cultural differences
(Anticipatory Set). The board will have a question projected that reads “What makes your
culture unique in comparison to others?” Students will write their answers down on a
sheet of paper.
2. After the first ten minutes, the class will share aloud and have a brief discussion of where
these differences derive from and how it is connected to math.
3. From here, I will present a PowerPoint presentation that dives into cultural differences
and how many aspects of the math field have come from areas of the world. This
presentation will bring up four mathematicians Isaac Newton, Srinivasa Ramanujan,
Alberto Pedro Calderon, and Katherine Johnson.
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4. The presentation will end with a brief description of the mathematicians listed above and
students will move on to their independent practice.
5. Upon completion, the class will end with a gallery walk and open discussion with the
entire class connecting math to cultural differences. Students will participate by calling
out any major takeaways.
6. Before students leave the class, they will complete their exit ticket (listed below as an
assessment based on objectives). They will place this in a bin before they head to their
next class.
Plan For Independent Practice:
- Students will all be assigned a favorite mathematician. Each student will take 20 minutes
to conduct research using the internet. They will take notes that include the
mathematician’s cultural background, how their upbringing has affected or led to their
career in math, and what major contributions they have had to the field.
- After their independent research, they will come together with other students with the
same mathematician and create a poster board. Each student will pitch in by contributing
information they found in their initial search. They will have access to poster paper,
markers, a printer, and other materials necessary to create an eye-catching and
informative poster for the class to view.
Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):
- “Now that we have learned about cultural differences in math I want you all to always
consider how cultural differences can influence a person’s life, not just mathematicians.
Everyone has differences because of their background and we live in a very diverse
world. It is our job to appreciate and respect everyone’s cultural differences and respect
what results from those differences.”
Assessment Based On Objectives:
- After all, students conducted their research and had the time to complete the gallery walk.
A short quiz will be conducted as an exit ticket. The questions will include:
1. How did Isaac Newton’s culture affect his career?
2. What were Srinivasa Ramanujan's major contributions to the math field?
3. What was the main cultural difference between Alberto Pedro Calderon and
Katherine Johnson?
Possible Connections To Other Subjects:
- This lesson is very versatile and can be used in any subject matter. English teachers, for
example, can replace famous mathematicians with famous writers from different cultures
and follow the lesson plan. With simple changes, this can be connected to any subject.