Abstract
Th e History of Mathematics can be developed both implicitly and explicitly in the classroom. Learning about the history of mathematics can therefore contribute to improving the integral education and training of students. Th e aim of this paper is to analyze the proposal of an historical activity based on the work Nova Scientia (1537) by Tartaglia for use in the mathematics classroom. Th is analysis will show the use of a Renaissance mathematical instrument for measuring the height of a mountain in order to motivate the study of trigonometry in the mathematics classroom, as well as to show students the explanatory role of mathematics in regard to the natural world.
Highlights
The history of mathematics shows how mathematics has frequently been used to solve problems concerning human activity as well as for helping to understand the world that surrounds us
For instance, geometry, which emerged as a means of measure, has evolved alongside the problems of measurement (Stilwell, 2010); trigonometry has developed in order to solve prob
In order to transmit to the students the idea that mathematics is a science in a continuous state of evolution, and that it is the result of the joint and ongoing work of many people rather than knowledge amassed by independent contributions arising from flashes of inspiration, it is recommendable to present historical activities in the classroom
Summary
The history of mathematics shows how mathematics has frequently been used to solve problems concerning human activity as well as for helping to understand the world that surrounds us. Lems of both astronomy and navigation (Zeller, 1944), while algebra, which came more to the fore in problem-solving, especially in mercantile arithmetic during the Renaissance, was later to become an indispensable tool for solving problems in geometry and number theory (Bashmakova & Smirnova, 2000; Massa Esteve, 2005a) All this knowledge will undoubtedly enrich the mathematical background and training of teachers, some references to which can be found in the historiography (Calinger, 1996; Fauvel &Maanen, 2000; Demattè, 2006; Massa Esteve et al, 2011; Lawrence, 2012). One of the subjects of this course concerns engineers-artists in the Renaissance, and a proposal of an historical activity on this subject in the mathematics classroom has been presented to pre-service teachers The aim of this paper is to analyze the proposal of the implementation of this historical activity, and to discuss whether these kinds of activities can show students how mathematics may play an explanatory role in regard to the natural world. The paper considers whether working with instruments and following the procedures recommended to their users in the past offer students today a valuable appreciation of mathematical practices (Heering, 2012)
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