Your can be a Mathematician

Do you love working with numbers?

Are you interested in understanding
the world, abstractly?
Picture yourself the worlds
foremost mathematician.
Dr. Etta Zuber Falconer-
Was one of the first
African American
women to receive a
Ph.D. in mathematics.
Dr. Elbert Frank Cox-The
first African American to
receive a Ph.D. in
mathematics
Dr. Jonathan D. Farley is the 2004 recipient of
the Harvard Foundation's Distinguished
Scientist Award, a medal presented on behalf
of the president of Harvard University for
"outstanding achievements and contributions
in the field of mathematics."
Building blocks to ensure success
Description of Classroom
Seventh grade, Mathematics class
The classroom is a large room that is conducive for
lecture setting.
The school setting is rural.
The schedule consists of 4 classes per day, each class
between 5% and 10% African American, the remainder
European American, with an occasional Asian Student.
Class consists of 60% male students and 40% female
students.
African American is the selected underrepresented
group.

Link to Standards
State Standards
M.O.7.3.6 Solve mathematical real-world problems using compound geometric figures.

National Standards
Not Applicable

Common Core Standards
CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.B.6 Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, volume and surface
area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right
prisms.
This mathematical standards is important because the students can see that
geometry is all around us. How it can correlate to the success that comes in all
shapes, sizes, colors, and/or creeds. It also correlates to career goal setting since
students need to see role models from their own cultural/background, racial or
ethnic group, in order to be motivated to learn math and to
think of themselves as mathematicians. Geometry is an integral facet of mathematics
that helps students understand the world around us.

Culturally Competent Teacher
The bulletin board will be displayed throughout the year to encourage African-
American students to rise above their stereotypes.
These different images might motivate many African- American students to
challenge themselves so that they can become mathematicians. By doing this,
African- American students can help close the achievement gap.
These images gives African-American students positive role models to follow and
inspire to them to be great, including two black men that are famous
mathematicians and a young student learning the building blocks of math.
These images assists African-American feel a sense of pride in their racial group,
because these are well known and important mathematicians. These
mathematicians are African-Americans who broke down barriers and paved the
way for future African-Americans.
These images aid African American students to feel welcomed in the classroom,
since these are positive images of high achieving people.
This lesson will help African-American students make their goal of becoming a
mathematician just one step closer.

Important Statistics
You can be part of raising the bar and closing the achievement gap. All it takes is a
little hard work and determination.
References
Dr. Etta Zuber Falconer image: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-
bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=9337760&PIpi=1119447
Dr. Elbert Frank Cox image:
https://www.math.upenn.edu/History/bh/Cox150.jpg
Dr. Jonathan D. Farley image:
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/PEEPS/farley_jonathan.html
Student in math class image: http://hbcubuzz.com/do-black-
students-learn-better-from-black-teachers/black-math-teacher-
student/
Statistics image:
http://www.jbhe.com/news_views/50_black_doctoraldegrees.html