Looking for ways to build up and showcase female voices in mathematics with your class? Maryam Mirzakhani is worth celebrating and uplifting! She was the first woman to win the Field’s Medal (the highest honour in mathematics) . Here is some biographical information about her as well as some lesson ideas you could use in your class.
Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017)
Maryam was an Iranian mathematician and professor of Mathematics at Stanford University. Her research topics included Teichmüller theory, hyperbolic geometry, ergodic theory, and symplectic geometry. In 2005, as a result of her research, she was honored in Popular Science’s fourth annual “Brilliant 10” in which she was acknowledged as one of the top 10 young minds who have pushed their fields in innovative directions.
On August 13, 2014, she was the first woman to win the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics.
She unfortunately died of breast cancer at the age of 40 on July 14, 2017.
Videos on Maryam Mirzahani:
CNN’s video outlining her life accomplishments in math with particular focus on the barriers she broke for women in mathematics:
Bow Valley College’s Tribute to Miriam offers students a way to think about the beauty that can be found in math and the importance of finding their own way into their passions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58dEudf3zIo
Lesson Ideas:
Math Through Art/Drawing:
“The Process of Drawing somehow helps you stay connected to mathematics” -M. Mirzikhani
- Provide a variety of mathematical images from nature. Invite students to participate with the provocation, “Where does math live here?”
- Lay out large sheets of paper (Maryam often explored math concepts laying down on the ground with large sheets of paper) for students to begin to sketch ideas they are finding in the photos presented. Then, using another colour marker, have them do a ‘gallery walk’ to build on/connect to the ideas of others.
- Bring these large sheets of paper outside. Have students explore other areas of your school property. Invite them to build on the ideas they previously explored inside the classroom and add to their papers.
- Reflect on the quote by Miriam (“The Process of Drawing somehow helps you stay connected to mathematics” -M. Mirzikhani). Have students write about their experience in drawing mathematical ideas.
- Extension: Invite students to go home and draw where they can find evidence of math at home with their families OR Use a class set of cameras to have students photograph their own examples!
Math Mindmap:
- Show this “Map of Mathematics”
- Analyze the layout, design, and organization.
- Have students create mindmaps showing their understanding of the connections between topics/ideas. Brainstorm the use of symbols to show big ideas. How can colour, symbol, and layout be used purposefully to showcase your understanding?
The Beauty of Math: A Guided Inquiry:
“You have to spend some energy and effort to see the beauty of math” -M. Mirzakhani
- Ask students the following prompt: What do you know about people who have made a difference in the world of math? Do you know any famous mathematicians? What do you know about female mathematicians? Have you ever heard of Maryam Mirzakhani? What do you know about what it’s like to be a woman in Iran? What do you know about what life was like for women in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war?
- Show the CNN video (linked above). Students record notes and questions as they watch.
- In groups, fill a large piece of paper with questions about Maryam and women in mathematics.
- Read aloud “Maryam’s Magic: The Story of Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani.” Students use text codes (See text codes below) to record their reactions/thoughts/questions to the text.
- Create a ‘Fact Finding Spree’ where students (in groups) go online to record as many facts as they can about Maryam and her life onto a blank grid. Then, students cut out each fact and sort them into groups based on patterns they see emerging.
- Then, have groups join other groups to condense their facts/negotiate for categories to refine their research.
- Lastly, as a class, decide how you will share this new information with your great community (parents? Other classes?). Perhaps create a shared powerpoint where each group takes one category? Or create a book? Or use book creator? Or create a trailer?
Numeracy: Using Infographics to Explore Data Regarding Gender and Mathematics:
https://elearninginfographics.com/female-math-pioneers/
What kind of data can you infer from this? How can you make sense of this graph? What does this tell you about women in math? What do you think accounts for this discrepancy?