It feels like a great time in society to emphasize the value and contributions of other races and cultures to life as we know it today. Math is one small corner of it.
Using Sean Corey's google folder of resources, I made this bulletin board of mathematicians.
I introduced it by connecting it to my "What Is Math?" lesson borrowed from @saravanderwerf.
At the end of that lesson, I showed two slides of three mathematicians each. I asked them to notice patterns. They noticed things like era, clothing, age, hair, glasses, etc. Then I asked what all six had in common. Answers such as humans, alive at one time, have hair, wear clothes, etc. Yes AND they are all mathematicians. They had a lot of trouble believing Danica McKellar and John Urschel were really mathematicians.
I also attached library pockets next to each picture. I plan to make this a semester long project and repeat it with another set of mathematicians. My plan is that randomly throughout the semester, {maybe after every test?} students will research and write a random fact about one of the mathematicians above on an index card and place it in the pocket. They will also type that same fact into a google form.
The next time we do it, they have to read the index cards and make sure they are not writing a fact that is already there. By the end of the semester, I will have a speadsheet of information about each mathematician that I will then share back with the class. They will pick one and choose to create some type of summary of information: video, powerpoint, paper, poster, etc.
With the facts already typed out, it should be somewhat simple to tie everything together.
I would love your feedback on this idea!
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