Math, Mind and Matter for Middle School Teachers - The course followed an epistemological approach.   Students were asked to answer how they know what they know.   They answered this question throughout the course.  They turned to history to learn about great contributions to science by people such as Newton, Descartes, Darwin, and Schrödinger.  They also learned about some similar contributions to mathematics.   Students then learned about different modes of inquiry in science and mathematics by people like Euler, Pythagoras, and Poincare.    Students compared and contrasted inductive vs. deductive reasoning as well as scientific vs. mathematical knowledge in order to understand how they know what they know.   Topics discussed in the course included physical and chemical changes, energy flow, chaos, fractals, global warming, and weather fluctuations will be developed from both scientific and mathematical perspectives. 

Contact:
PV STEMNET, pvnet@umassk12.net, http://umassk12.net

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