Contributions of Different Cultures to the Development of Mathematics: An Internet Guide for Teachers

Contributions of Different Cultures to the Growth and Development of Mathematical Ideas: An Internet Guide for Teachers

Link to Introduction

Link to Bibliography

"Life is good for only two things, discovering mathematics and teaching mathematics."* -- Siméon Poisson (1781-1840)

Although the mathematics used worldwide today largely comes from the Greek, Islamic and Western European traditions, every culture has developed some form of mathematics to help guide the production of the basic necessities of life. The topic of this pathfinder is the contributions of various cultures to the growth and development of mathematical ideas. This pathfinder for pre-service K-8 teachers provides a broad overview of mathematics in different cultures across the world and across history, including China, Africa, and pre-Columbian America, and how to incorporate it into the classroom.

Where can I find timelines/synopses of mathematical contributions across history?

MacTutor History of Mathematics, January 2001. <http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/index.html> (23 February 2001).
Encyclopedia Britannica Online. <http://www.britannica.com> (23 February 2001). Use the search terms: "mathematics and history" and "mathematics and culture."
"History of Mathematics." Math Archives. <http://archives.math.utk.edu/topics/history.html> (19 February 2001).

What is ethnomathematics?

Ferreira, Mariana K. L. "Ethnomath." <http://web.utk.edu/~mferrei1/ethnomath.html> (2 March 2001).
Kellermeier, John. "Ethnomathematics Snap Shots." <http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/john.kellermeier/Ethnomath/index.htm> (23 February 2001).

What mathematical ideas have been generated by specific cultures?

International Study Group on Ethnomathematics. International Study Group on Ethnomathematics. <http://www.rpi.edu/~eglash/isgem.htm> (23 February 2001).
Joyce, David E. History of Mathematics, 15 September 1998. <http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/mathhist/mathhist.html> (12 February 2001). This site is particularly strong on China.
Williams, Scott W. Mathematicians of the African Diaspora, 3 December 2001. <http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/00.INDEXmad.html> (26 February 2001).

What are some Native American contributions to mathematics?

4Directions. 4Directions.com. <http://www.4directions.com> (3 March 2001).
Eidam, Don. "Don Eidam's Home Page." <http://www.millersv.edu/~deidam/> (23 February, 2001).
Patterson, Katherine. "Ethnomathematics Resources." <http://www.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/depts/edu/projects/ethnomath.html> (26 February 2001). You will have to scroll down the page, but examples can be found under basketry, beadwork, textiles and more.

Where can I find ideas for meaningfully incorporating different cultural mathematics into my classroom teaching?

Laubenbacher, Reinhard and David Pengelley. Teaching with Original Historical Sources in Mathematics, 26 November 2000. <http://math.nmsu.edu/~history> (23 February 2001).
Office for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "Math Education Resources." <http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/mathed/mathedlinks.html> (23 February 2001).
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. <http://www.nctm.org> (19 February 2001).
Patterson, Katherine. "Ethnomathematics Resources." <http://www.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/depts/edu/projects/ethnomath.html> (26 February 2001). This page has so many different kinds of resources, I had to include it twice.

A Parting Note:

The nature of the internet is that webpages come and go. Unlike books which have a physical reality, if a webpage "goes out of print" for whatever reason (the page is deleted, no one fixes a broken link, etc.), there is very little a web surfer can do. At the same time, new webpages are added every day. This makes it especially important to go to an internet search engine like Google, http://www.google.com, and re-run your search periodically.

To continue your own searching, some terms you may want to use are: mathematics and culture, mathematics and history, ethnomathematics, and Ubiratan D'Ambrosio (a major supporter of ethnomathematics and incorporating it into the classroom).

Good luck with your searching! If you need further assistance, please contact a reference librarian. Our job is to help you! Questions or comments about this pathfinder? Feel free to email me at: akerman@gslis.utexas.edu.

The address of this pathfinder is: http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~vlibrary/pathfinders/akerman/

This pathfinder was prepared by Aimee Akerman, MLIS candidate at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Texas at Austin.