Week 7 Mathematics & Poetry and Novels

 Weekly Reading

 

This week I read Can Zombies Write Mathematical Poetry? Mathematical Poetry as a Model for Humanistic Mathematics written by Gizem Karaali. The author reflects on the intersection of mathematics, poetry, and human experience. The narrative delves into the author's personal journey of rediscovering poetry and its connection to creativity, consciousness, and cognition—qualities fundamental to humanity. The author explores the analogy between mathematics and poetry, asserting that both disciplines encapsulate the essence of what makes us human. The text also introduces the concept of "humanistic mathematics," emphasizing the human aspect of mathematical endeavours. Furthermore, the author shares insights into their own poetry, discussing the influence of language and the unique relationship between mathematical and poetic language. The narrative concludes by highlighting the incorporation of mathematical poetry in teaching, showcasing its potential to bridge the gap between those disinterested in mathematics and the profound beauty inherent in the subject.

My first stop was related to this quote, “I claim that mathematical poetry can be the ideal ambassador for our efforts to humanize mathematics in the eyes of those who mostly care little for mathematics” (Karaali, 2014). This had me thinking about my first-year teaching when I utilized a picture book related to playing with making simple mathematical equations related to life, for example, leaves + hot soup = fall. The book is called This Plus That: Life’s Little Equations by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. To engage my students in thinking about this idea I took them for a walk to the local meadow and read the story. Students were then paired up to come up with different equations inspired by the book. This simple activity helped humanize mathematics for my Grade 1 learners in a profound way. As students are just starting their journey with addition and subtraction in grade 1, it is important to provide them with opportunities to play with math to develop confidence.

 

My second stop was connected to the quote “Even in adult conversations, I oftentimes feel more at ease in English. But with poetry, I could only hear my voice in Turkish”(Karaali, 2014). This had me thinking about the diversity of classes in British Columbia. In my current class 14 out of 22 students are ELL, with many of those students moving to Canada in the past year. This article was written by an adult, and they still feel more comfortable to do certain tasks in one of their specific languages. I think these serves as a good reminder to let students show what they know in different languages. Asking newcomers to Canada to produce work in English is an unrealistic ask. There is beauty in students being given the agency to decide they way and the language in which they show their thinking. Furthermore, this celebrates students who have more than one language, contributing to building a community of respect for different strengths that all individuals bring forward.

Introduction, Videos, and Activities

 I appreciated the introduction this week to give me some context into the idea of combining mathematics with poetry. As I teach at the early primary level, I do not teach poetry and haven’t thought about it since I was in high school. I appreciated the section around three possible ways that mathematics inspires poetry. I was able to make a connection that sometimes I use literary works about mathematics with my students.

 

It was interesting to move from reading about poetry and math to viewing it in action through Mike Naylor’s video. I almost found it more engaging the way he read Run, Hero, Run! First using zero and one. This poem had me thinking about how I would help students make the connection between poems and mathematics. I wonder if the connection is less abstract if the poem involves mathematical terms/language?

 

I was interested in exploring Fibonacci’s sequence and how it can be used in poetry. I appreciated the explanation from Sarah Glaz. Here is my experimentation with Fib poems.

 

Rural

Urban

Snow covered

Adventure activities await

The mountains are calling me

 

Sand

Water

Driftwood chairs

Seagulls chirp overhead

Waves go in and out

 

Works Cited

Karaali, G. (2014). Can Zombies Write Mathematical Poetry? Mathematical Poetry as a Model for Humanistic Mathematics. Journal of Mathematics and the Arts , 38-45.