Sunday, August 3, 2008

#18: Mrs. Shults, Literacy Coach

I have just read an interesting book entitled, Q.E.D. Beauty in Mathematical Proof, by Burkard Polster. This little book, fifty-eight pages, contains proofs for some of math's most essential concepts. Of course, Pythagoras, Archimedes, and Euler are main characters in this book, but ideas like pi, phi, and the mysterious properties of circles, cones, and right triangles are made understandable to the most novice math mind, and I'm definitely talking about my mind.

I was introduced to this book this summer at a literacy in math session during the Just Read, Florida conference in Orlando. Although the initials, Q.E.D. are an abbreviation for the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, or "what had to be proved," one of the math teachers in the session said it really stands for "Quite Easily Demonstrated." I agree. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in math or wants to keep their whole brain working. And of course, the teacher in me sees many ways this book could be used in the classroom. I hope you'll check it out.

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