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Traditional Lesson Plan

Samford University
Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education
& Professional Studies

STUDENT: Olivia Yancey


GRADE/SUBJECT: 12th grade Analytical Mathematics
SCHOOL: ____________________________________
DATE: _______________________________________
ESTIMATED LESSON TIME: 90 minutes

The Art of Mathematics


Lesson Objectives: By the end of this lesson students will be able to
Arrange a word problem into an augmented matrix
Recognize some contributions of Chinese culture to mathematics
Discuss historical themes and context and their effect on the area of math
Preform elimination and back substitution to solve for 2 and 3 unknowns
National & State Standards:
8.) (+) Understand that the zero and identity matrices play a role in matrix addition and
multiplication similar to the role of 0 and 1 in the real numbers. The determinant of a
square matrix is nonzero if and only if the matrix has a multiplicative inverse. Solve matrix
equations using augmented matrices. [N-VM10] (Alabama)
9.) (+) Multiply a vector (regarded as a matrix with one column) by a matrix of suitable
dimensions to produce another vector. Work with matrices as transformations of vectors,
including matrices larger than 2 x 2. [N-VM11] (Alabama)
10.) (+) Work with 2 x 2 matrices as transformations of the plane, and interpret the
absolute value of the determinant in terms of area. Solve matrix application problems
using reduced row echelon form. [N-VM12] (Alabama)
Pre-Instructional Activities:
Have the classroom decorated with traditional Chinese lamps and other dcor. Have an
abacus as a prop if available.
Once students are seated, explain that today we will be exploring the impact that Chinese
culture had on mathematics. Most specifically their contributions to what we have been
learning, matrix mathematics.
But first, have you ever heard of any theorems or processes named after Chinese
mathematicians? Probably not
Why do you think that the Chinese and other Asian cultures arent given credit for their
contributions in mathematics?
1. Chinese culture was isolated for a good part of our worlds history. For example,
they were the first culture to discover negative numbers. But our knowledge of
negative numbers did not come from them, we discovered them as well only about
1000 years later. Or in the case we will see in just a moment, the Chinese were the
first to explore into solving systems of equations using matrix math and a technique
known as back substitution.
2. Due to some of their more extreme governments there were instances like the book
burning where tons of information was lost or there was a period of 300 years

during the Tang and Song dynasties where there was almost no progression of
mathematics.
3. The final reason that we will talk about comes from a theme that is present all
throughout history. After the European mathematicians began to look into Chinese
mathematics, they came at it with an ethnocentric view. The proof style used by
these mathematicians was very different than the Euclidian proofs of Europe. So
the Europeans disregarded Chinese proofs saying that they didnt prove anything.
Directed Teaching:
Chinese mathematics historically has been centered around 2 subject matters
Astronomy/calendar building and real life, everyday problems. It is the topic of everyday
problems that spawned the most influential/foundational text in Chinese mathematics, The
Nine Chapters on Mathematical Art. The chapters are as follows: Land Surveying; Millet
and Rice, Distribution by Proportion, Short Width, Civil Engineering, Fair Distribution of
Goods, Excess and Deficit, Calculations by Square Tables, and Right Angled Triangles.
Our topic today comes from the 8th chapter that focuses on solving simultaneous linear
systems.
Guided Practice: Display problem 1 from chapter 8: Problem I. There are three grades of
grain: top, medium and low. Three sheaves of top-grade, two sheaves of medium-grade
and one sheaf of low-grade are 39 Dous 4 . Two sheaves of top-grade, three sheaves of
medium-grade and one sheaf of low-grade are 34 Dous. One sheaf of top-grade, two
sheaves of medium-grade and three sheaves of low-grade are 26 Dous. How many Dous
does one sheaf of top-grade, medium-grade and low-grade grain yield respectively?
Go through step by step to discuss how to clear out under the diagonal and then how to
do back substitution. Make sure that they are following along in their notes. Take questions
as needed.
Independent Practice: Have the students work a word problem that would be applicable
to their lives. Such as:
The school that Stefan goes to is selling tickets to a choral performance. On the
first day of ticket sales the school sold 3 senior citizen tickets and 1 child ticket for a total
of $38. The school took in $52 on the second day by selling 3 senior citizen tickets and 2
child tickets. Find the price of a senior citizen ticket and the price of a child ticket.
Change the name of the student to one that is in the class and change the event as
needed depending on the interests of the students.
Have checkpoints to make sure that they are setting up the matrix correctly, they clear out
the column correctly and that they perform the back substitution correctly.
Formative Evaluation:
Students must provide an exit slip in order to leave. Students will provide at least 1
interesting fact they have learned and answer the following question using elimination and
back substitution.

The state fair is a popular field trip destination. This year the senior class at High School A
and the senior class at High School B both planned trips there. The senior class at High
School A rented and filled 8 vans and 8 buses with 240 students. High School B rented
and filled 4 vans and 1 bus with 54 students. Every van had the same number of students
in it as did the buses. Find the number of students
in each van and in each bus.
Differentiating Instruction:
For higher achieving classes have their exit slip have a 3 variable, 3 unknown word
problem instead of the 2x2.
For lower achieving classes include guided comprehension questions when they are
solving the word problems (i.e. what are your variables, what are the separate equations,
etc.) each time they solve the problem independent and guided.
Closure: What we have learned today is formally called Gaussian Elimination named after
the German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss who is credited with discovering this
process and then further generalizing it for n number of equations and n unknowns.
However it was discover later that the Chinese had been using this method for finite
matrices close to 1500 years before Gauss time. Due to the isolation, lack of information,
and ethnocentrism that we talked about at the beginning of this lesson the world had no
idea of the Chinese advances in mathematics so they dont get credit for their discovery. I
hope yall now have more perspective on these sociological concepts and how they can
effect all areas of our lives, even including mathematics!
Resources:
For background information
http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/HistTopics/Nine_chapters.html
http://www.storyofmathematics.com/chinese.html
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/mathhist/china.html
http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/HistTopics/Chinese_overview.html
http://www.math.uiuc.edu/documenta/vol-ismp/10_yuan-ya-xiang.pdf
Reflection Upon Lesson:

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