Reading Mathematics

Concept based learning and Inquiry based learning are both interesting topics and close to my heart – but this week I want to talk about building passion in students through reading mathematics.

Some interesting articles and some interesting books – not that they have to understand mathematical aspects but it just builds the excitement and desire to learn. A few writers I like Martin Gardner, Ian Stewart, Simon Singh, Eugenia Cheng, Steve Strogatz (all focused towards secondary students, I will have to look up for primary students). I also like problems from the NRICH website-to build the problems solving skills(often we hear that the students can solve the knowledge problems but struggle with the word problems). Another favourite is the “Wired’ magazine which has interesting articles and I find Mathematical Association of America store a great place to explore some books too. Have just been exploring some non-fiction too. These are stories woven around mathematics and I found some interesting ones by Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Lilac Mohr and Yoko Ogawa.

Martin Gardner-“The Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problems”, Martin Gardner’s Science Magic: Tricks and Puzzles
Ian Stewart-“From Here to Infinity”, “Professor Stewart’s Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities”
Simon Singh-“Fermat’s Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World’s Greatest Mathematical Problem”
Eugenia Cheng-“How to Bake Pi : An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics”
Steve Strogatz-“The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Mathematics, from One to Infinity”, “The Calculus of Friendship: What a Teacher and a Student Learned about Life while Corresponding about Math”
Hans Magnus Enzensberger – “The Number Devil”, Lilac Mohr – “Math and Magic in Wonderland”
Yoko Ogawa – “The Housekeeper and the Professor”

http://www.wired.com
http://www.maa.org/press/books

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