Y5 h/w:'Research a famous mathematician': poster/powerpoint/article- 2 hrs work.. Who?

[ampere]

Can any of you clever lot come up with a suitable mathematician DS can research? He could only think of Isaac Newton, which is OK, but can you think of any others?

Paul Erdős!!!!
I can't think of a more famous mathematician -- author or coauthor of more academic papers than any other mathematician in history ( my Erdos number is 4:) ). Famously eccentric and fascinating character.

They aren't obscure if you are into maths

what is this homework supposed to teach the children? It won't teach them maths. I'd ask what is supposed to be the advantage to the children, frankly.

I think the homework is actually the skill of researching something and using it to feedback to others - either in a poster or power point or article.
not maths

Cross-curricular ICT, History in researching a significant figure, independent research into an individual choice (within a limited field)
I can probably think of a few more reasons, if that's not enough, CCF

Presenting - ICT/Speaking and Listening

Obviously it is good for autism awareness!

Literacy skills, too.

Well, it depends what subject it is supposed to be homework FOR. I think yr 5 is very young to learn from these people's exceptional and unusual lives.

I think florence Nightingale is a good suggestion...her use of stats was revolutionary

I don't, I think it's entirely appropriate - and I'm a Y5 teacher.

That was to CCF!

So who would you have them research for this type of project? Someone bland and uninspiring?

Alan Turing

I wasn't going to comment Feenie, get a bit weary of the questioning everything, but I agree. It's not an in depth study, it'll be a few slides with the idea that there was a person who investigated a particular area of maths.
How is that harder than a pp on Henry VIII or Julius Caesar?

If it was left until Y5 to teach about people's exceptional and unusual lives I would be worried.

Florence Nightingale with a maths connection may be interesting to some but they will have researcher her from Y1 onwards so may not be too eager to research her again

So, as a year five teacher, what do you think they will learn from this exactly? And do you think that 9 year olds could do this homework independently, and learn from it independently? Where would you expect them to start?

I bet some of these yr5s don't even know their tables!

ColdComfortFarm they don't need to know their tables to conduct research into a well known mathematician and create a report into their life and work ...IT ISN'T MATHS HOMEWORK

ColdComfortFarm I would hope 9 year olds could be SIX year olds can

Do you think a nine year old will learn from Alan Turing? I don't. As it happens I have told my son a bit about ALan Turing, but that's because he's autistic, so I remind him that his mind works in a way that has been of huge benefit to humankind. I don't suppose this is the point of this homework. As we don't even know what subject this homework is for, it's hard to judge its usefulness at all. All we know for sure is that homework at primary school doesn't help pupils.

Especially if it is done for them by adults!

'I bet some of these yr5s don't even know their tables!'

is that the best you can do? : P
The expectation is that all children should know all tables up to 10x by the end of Y4.
Most will, some will exceed and some won't.

Mrz or Feenie might be along to provide a more measured and mature response, but I can't be bothered any more.

mrsz, isn't it? What subject is it? have flipped back on this thread and as far as I can see, Ampere hasn't said what it is for. Did I miss the relevant post?

I think Turing would be very interesting. My nephew in year 4 has just done WW2 as a topic and would find it interesting. My DS aged 8 would get it too. They don't need to know exactly how a Bombe decrypts codes, just the general story.