Lesson Idea

Title: The Importance of Mathematicians

Grade Level: 7th Grade
Content: Mathematics
Standard Addressed: MGSE7.RP.2a Decide whether two quantities are in a proportional relationship,
e.g., by testing for equivalent ratios in a table or graphing on a coordinate plane and observing whether
the graph is a straight line through the origin.

Amount of Time: 50 Minutes

Technology Standard Addressed: 3 – Knowledge Constructor
SMAR Level: Modification
Essential Question(s): Where would modern day mathematics be without our past
mathematicians? What would math look like? Would we have some of the jobs and careers
that we have today?
Learning Activity

 Introduction: We will first go over the two slides that I created about the mathematician,
William Playfair, who pioneered the concept of charts and graphs.
 Instruction/Activities: The students will receive a list of mathematicians that will be
important throughout the school year. They will do research on one of these
mathematicians, and create two slides about this mathematician and the impact that he or
she may have made. They will upload these two slides to a collaborative presentation on
the class website.
 Final Product: The final product will be a PowerPoint that was collaboratively created by
two slides from each student in the class and will cover the mathematicians that are
important in the upcoming school year. Once completed, the students will learn how to
convert the final PowerPoint to an MP4 file with an added voiceover playing.
 Evaluation or deliverable: The students will present the final product of their two slides to
the class and respond to any questions that their peers may have. Presentation will be
graded for accuracy according to given rubric and may be presented through the format of
.PPTX or through the format of .MP4.
Reflective Practice

 Are there any additional activities or tools that would extend or enhance the lesson idea
above?
o Students would be given the option to show examples of the impact that their
mathematician may have contributed. For example, for the mathematician that I
used as an example, William Playfair, I could draw or use a classroom chart or graph
to show the students as I presented. Students would have the option to use

SPR_2020_SJB
 Lesson Idea

materials around the classroom, such as manipulatives, if it would help to describe

the impact made.
 Could something be added to the activity to extend it to a higher Bloom’s level or
technology level?
o In order to take the creativity of the project to a higher level, the students could
come into the classroom dressed as their chosen mathematicians and give the
presentation from the mathematician’s point of view.
 Is the project such that it can be published to share with people outside the classroom? If
so, what additions would you make to the lesson idea to make this happen?
o The project will be published on the classroom website. This way, parents and
guardians with the necessary username and password will be able to see their
students’ work.

SPR_2020_SJB