THE MATH CLASSROOM AS A PLACE OF WORSHIP Dr. Bruce Young, Covenant College

The mathematics classroom is a place of worship because it is a place where students and teachers should become filled with the wonder of God’s created order.

Mathematics: A Definition Mathematics is the human activity of describing created order in terms of number and shape. “Mathematics finds its roots in God’s creation order and His faithfulness in upholding it” (Van Brummelen).

Psalm 66 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are Thy works!” Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men...

Tessellations -Tessellations are a tiling made up of repeated use of one or more polygon shapes to completely fill a plane without gaps or overlapping. -M.C. Escher was a Dutch painter known for his tessellating drawings and paintings. - Tessellations appear in nature. One example is the bee hive. What shape are the cells? What advantages are there to this tessellating shape?

Consider the honey bee CONSIDER THE HONEY BEE! Tessellating hexagons of a honeycomb

BATS, BEES, BIRDS, AND BUTTERFLYS

HEAVEN AND HELL

Economy of Shape SHAPEAREALENGTHPERIMETER Triangle Square Hexagon Octagon Dodecagon tessallates 2 does not tessallate

NCTM Standards Pre-K–2 Expectations: In prekindergarten through grade 2 all students should– create mental images of geometric shapes using spatial memory and spatial visualization; recognize geometric shapes and structures in the environment and specify their location. Grades 3–5 Expectations: In grades 3–5 all students should– build and draw geometric objects; create and describe mental images of objects, patterns, and paths; recognize geometric ideas and relationships and apply them to other disciplines and to problems that arise in the classroom or in everyday life.

Consider the Fibonacci Sequence How fast can rabbits bred under ideal circumstances?

The Fibonacci Sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, How is this sequence created? 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5, 3+5=8, 5+8=13...

Fibonacci Numbers in Nature

The Call and Response These kinds of activities are calling students to “Come and see the works of God.” The response should be to “shout joyfully to God.”

“Worship-less” Math Classrooms Are Common Many math classrooms are more like mortuaries than a sanctuaries Why? and How can it be changed?

The Key: Meaningful Learning Romancing Refining Reformulating

“But the most obvious fact about praise- whether of God or anything- strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise... The world rings with praise- lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game...I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses, but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” - C. S. Lewis

HOW IS MATH DEVELOPED? As people interact with creation they discover mathematical laws that they describe using symbols and systems. Symbols, though abstract, represent real entities. =

The symbol 10 can mean many things. In base ten it represents ten items. In base five it represents five items. In base twelve it represents twelve items. We can recognize the difference between two cars and three cars. The terms “two” and “three” are arbitrary. The basic structure is not.

Why Teach & Learn Math? So our students will: 1.Recognize that God is faithful in upholding creation through mathematical patterns and laws 2.Gain an understanding of the concepts and interrelationships of number and shape 3.Develop mathematical skills as a means of solving everyday problems. 4.Experience math as a developing science. Excerpt from Van Brummelen, Toward a Christian Approach to Teaching and Learning Math

Consider the following statements about math. Which ones are TRUE and which ones are FALSE?

There is one way to solve a given math problem. FALSE Ability to be successful in doing math is hereditary. FALSE You need to learn facts, rules, and formulas to be good at math. FALSE Children having difficulty learning math facts and concepts need more drill and practice. FALSE Math requires logic more than intuition. FALSE Math is not creative. FALSE Math requires a good memory. FALSE

Students need mathematical models and manipulatives to help draw principles out of real situations. Concrete experiences are often necessary to help understand abstract concepts.

What does 2 0 equal? Any number raised to the zero power equals 1. Why?

Why are hands-on learning activities so important to understanding mathematical concepts? Children learn by doing Fosters meaning- students have to think, make decisions, look for patterns, etc. Helps to attack problem in a systematic manner Promotes inductive reasoning (look for specific patterns and make generalizations) Promotes deductive reasoning (reason from general to specific by using patterns to find specific examples) Promotes problem-solving abilities Strengthens ability to remember facts and concepts Can be motivating