We describe a course that highlights mathematical experimentation as an introductory course for first year mathematics majors. We discuss the benefits of an experimental approach as an alternate pathway into the mathematics major. We also explain how this course serves as a gentle lead-in to later research experiences.

I have included a service-learning project in my mathematical modeling course for the last 6 years. This article describes my experience with service-learning in this course. The article includes a description of the course and the service-learning projects. There is a discussion of how to connect with community partners and identify…

As an often recommended but under-utilized pedagogical strategy, writing in mathematics has many benefits for students. However, creating and grading worthwhile writing projects can be more time-consuming than utilizing more traditional forms of assessment. This paper provides a concrete example of a writing project prompt, questions, directions,…

In this article, I will discuss a collective research project that I designed for my History of Mathematics course. My students, who are by and large pre-service teachers, explored online, digital versions of 18th-century British almanacs that contained question-and-answer sections for mathematics. In a multi-stage research process, they explored…

The benefits of including the study of the history of mathematics in the education of mathematics majors have been discussed at length elsewhere. Many colleges and universities now offer a History of Mathematics course for mathematics majors, for mathematics education majors, or for general credit. At Hood College, we emphasize our commitment to…

Much has been written about the benefits to be derived by incorporating the history of mathematics into its teaching. Of the various ways to do this, the use of original sources is among the most thrilling for the insights and the challenges it offers for students and instructors alike. In this paper, we describe examples of one particular…

Albrecht Dürer is well known as a Renaissance artist, but his 1525 work, the "Underweysung der Messung," or "Manual on Measurement," also contains a significant amount of mathematics. This article outlines four projects inspired by parts of this work, with additional material coming from Staigmüller's 1891 "Dürer als…

This article discusses the creation of a student project about linear difference equations using primary sources. Early 18th-century developments in the area are outlined, focusing on efforts by Abraham De Moivre (1667-1754) and Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782). It is explained how primary sources from these authors can be used to cover material…

The Mat-Rix-Toe project utilizes a matrix-based game to deepen students' understanding of linear algebra concepts and strengthen students' ability to express themselves mathematically. The project was administered in three classes using slightly different approaches, each of which included some editing component to encourage the…

This article presents two approaches to using original sources in a capstone writing project for a History of Mathematics course. One approach involves searching local libraries and is best suited to schools in metropolitan areas. A second approach involves online resources available anywhere. Both projects were used in a course intended for…

Service-learning has the potential to change student attitudes toward a course and a subject. With this goal in mind, I have used service-learning in several courses, from introductory mathematics courses to courses for math majors, for several semesters. This article gives details on these projects as well as some ideas to extend these projects…

We describe a college math course and summer research project in which students used their math skills to analyze sustainability issues on campus and in the wider community and how these projects contributed to bringing about change in the community. Staff members at the college played an important role in developing and supervising the student…

Math in the City is an interdisciplinary mathematics course offered at University of Nebraska-Lincoln in which students engage in a real-world experience to understand current major societal issues of local and national interest. The course is run in collaboration with local businesses, research centers, and government organizations, that provide…

Institutional research questions provide an excellent source of interesting problems for service-learning projects for undergraduates in mathematics. This paper discusses how this model has been implemented at Point Loma Nazarene University and provides both examples and practical details. (Contains 6 figures.)

This article will describe a project designed for use in a liberal arts mathematics course that satisfies an institutional quantitative reasoning requirement. Students, working in groups of four, are responsible for introducing and explaining new material to the rest of their class. Their "reporting" of mathematical information is…