Math autobiography examples

Math autobiography template
Math autobiography for students
Math autobiography assignment middle school

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My Math Beginnings

I have been doing mathematics since I am very young because parents were both teachers and researchers in science. My mother herself studied a bit of an undergrad in mathematics before changing paths. I tried to read several math books that were in the shelf of my grandfather and there are some that I remember quite distinctively: The Theory of Matrices of Gantmacher and Principles of Real Analysis from Rudin.

The challenge to understand these two books was what marked my math childhood: for me math books had to be like this and became an aspiration. This transformed into a rejection of “introductions”, books should go to the point demanding everything from the reader. It took me several years to overcome this idea. If a book said Introduction to…I rejected it immediately.

However, the result I remember the most from those years was presented in some of the math books we had from MIR publishers. They had very interesting titles and I spent a very large portion of my teenhood collecting their books. Back then, when I was around nine ye

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Mathematician Biography Project - Writing in the Math Classroom

Description

If you ask most students, they will tell you that they do not do much writing in their math class. This project will change that! Students should be writing in EVERY class. This is just one of the ways students could use writing in math.

This is a project in which students will be doing research and writing biographies about mathematicians. I had my students pick the name of a mathematician out of a hat. I tried to make sure each student in a class got a different mathematician.

I used this website to come up with names: http://fabpedigree.com/james/mathmen.htm

This document includes:
-instructions for the student
-questions about the mathematician for them to answer in their paper
-grading rubric
-FULLY EDITABLE so that you may adjust any guidelines as needed.

Questions & Answers

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Mathematical Autobiographies

Written by:Christine von Renesse

I start every semester with a mathematical autobiography. Each student submits his or her own story describing their history as a learner of mathematics. It sets the stage for me to get to know my students and learn about how they think. In the mathematics for liberal arts classes it is often depressing to read similar experiences resulting in math anxiety and even math hate. But I need to be reminded of these facts in order to have compassion for my students’ dispositions.

The autobiographies can also be used to start a discussion in small groups about students' expectations and feelings about the class they are about to start. Combined with a gallery walk to share the groups' feelings with the whole class this can be a powerful way to create a classroom community. See video below.

Usually I absolutely dread going to math class. I think it is because I have the negative mindset that I am just going to fail. This class has helped me widen my horizons and see that I do have the ability to succeed in math.

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