Advertising a History of Mathematics Course

Unless a history of mathematics course is well established at your university, you would be well advised to do some advertising. Undoubtedly the best thing to do is to talk to students that you know and tell them about the course, what you will do, and why it would be a valuable course for them to take. Encourage them to spread the word to their fellow students.

The following is the text used on a flyer that was sent to local high schools in the hope that some of the mathematics teachers would be inclined to take the course. A similar flyer was posted around the mathematics building and distributed to students.

HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS

FOR TEACHERS

Taught at Bowling Green State University
Spring Semester 1986

By Professor V. Frederick Rickey
of the Mathematics and Statistics Department

This course is a survey of the history of mathematics from the time of the Babylonians through the seventeenth-century with follow up discussion on selected topics. Carl Boyer's A History of Mathematics will be used as a text. As this is a course for prospective secondary teachers special attention will be paid to the history of geometry, algebra, trigonometry, and the calculus.

In service teachers may take this course for graduate credit by enrolling in Math 580, section 4374. The class will meet Monday and Wednesday from 4:30 until 6:00.

If you have questions contact Professor Rickey at xxx-xxxx (office) or xxx-xxxx (home; evenings).

Note that there is nothing fancy about this flyer. It just has the basic information about the course. You will be able to do something more interesting. Perhaps your department even has a mailing list set up so that you can send email to each of your undergraduate majors.

Return to the minicourse home page.
If you have comments, send email to V. Frederick Rickey at fred-rickey@usma.edu .
Posted 30 December 1996.