Description

This lesson offers students the opportunity to conduct research on the Internet about mathematicians and to synthesize that information into a timeline.

Materials

-Internet-accessible computers
-One copy of the Finding Facts Activity Sheet for each student (See attached file)
-Mathematicians Timeline Activity Sheet for each student (See attached file)
-Blackboard or overhead
-Overhead transparencies of Mathematicians Timeline
-Chalk or overhead transparency pen

Procedures

Day One:
(Using computers) Note This lesson is only addressing the retrieve information portion of LA.B.2.3.4.6.1.

1. Open the class session by having the group make a list of as many mathematicians as they can recall. Record names on board or overhead.

2. Discuss the important contributions that mathematicians have made in the development of society.

3. Explain that the students will be researching different mathematicians on the Internet and gathering specific information about five different people. The information they record will be used on Day Two in creating a Timeline of Mathematicians.

4. Hand out the Finding Facts Activity Sheet and review with students each of the items in section one. (See Attached Files.) Explain what is expected as an answer in each item. (Example: The major contribution that the mathematician made should be listed in the student's own words.) One or two sentences are sufficient in this item.

5. Have students launch Internet Explorer or Netscape and go to one of the sites in the Weblinks section of this lesson.

6. Remind students that they are going to pick five different mathematicians to research and that they may go to more than one site to research information. They must, however, be sure to record their web source for each mathematician referenced.

7. Circulate during the activity and help students locate important contributions made by each mathematician and support those having difficulty locating URL sites.

Day Two:
(Classroom activity)
1. Have students look at their Finding Facts Activity Sheet from the previous day. They will need to review the birth dates of each mathematician.

2. Have students number their mathematicians in chronological order on their research page.

3. Hand out the Mathematicians' Timeline Activity Sheet to students.

4. Using the Mathematicians' Timeline model for students (on blackboard or overhead), list one example and how they should review the information on the mathematician and list it on the timeline. Indicate to them that the major contribution should be written in complete sentences.

5. Complete the activity for each of the mathematicians listed until all five are place chronologically on the timeline.

6. Assess students' timelines. (See Assessments.)

Extensions

Extensions: If students have access to a computer lab with drawing software, it is very easy to allow them to use a template of the timeline to produce the Mathematicians Timeline in that application (Paint, AppleWorks Drawing). While doing the first day's activity, allow students to download a graphic of the selected mathematicians to a folder on the computer. These can be inserted as a graphic into the timeline on Day Two, after students add the information to the timeline.
This activity could be used in a variety of research/timeline formats, including the following: inventors, inventions, scientists, explorers, monarchs, women, African Americans, etc.

Modifications: Use the Web Links site All Math mathematicians' biographies for ESE and ESOL students as the readability level is easy to understand. For these same students, cut the requirement of five mathematicians to three or less for both the research activity and the timeline activity.

Attached Files

Fact Finding Activity Sheet and Mathematicians' Timeline.     File Extension: pdf