The NCTM Connections Standard

In its general preface to the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) states that there is a need to know

Mathematics as a part of cultural heritage. Mathematics is one of the greatest cultural and intellectual achievements of humankind, and citizens should develop an appreciation and understanding of that achievement, including its aesthetic and even recreational aspects. (p. 4)

Within math history are the accounts of the development of mathematics in every culture and the meaning of that development to the solution of practical problems.

Using math history enriches the standard curriculum as it connects math to other disciplines, such as social studies. This is a goal of the process standard Connections, which aims to connect content areas so that "mathematics and other disciplines will be seen as permeating life and not as just existing in isolation" (p. 279).

Connections! Math History as a Teaching and Learning Tool features resources that highlight the development of mathematics over time and in diverse cultures. Each resource corresponds to a topic usually covered in the middle grades curriculum, such as measurement, geometry, or probability, and connects it to its historical context.

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Copyright January 2008 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.