Theoni Pappas
Author of The Joy of Mathematics: Discovering Mathematics All Around You
About the Author
Series
Works by Theoni Pappas
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1944
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of California, Berkeley (BA)
Stanford University (MA) - Occupations
- teacher
- Organizations
- Mathematics Education Trust (MET)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) - Short biography
- Theoni Pappas is committed to giving mathematics greater exposure and making it more approachable. Pappas encourages mathematics teachers to share and develop new teaching ideas, methods, and approaches. Her gift to the Mathematics Education Trust (MET) helps teachers in grades 9—12 develop mathematics enrichment materials and lessons complementing a teaching unit implemented in the classroom.
Currently, Pappas is a mathematics educator and consultant. She received her B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and her M.A. from Stanford University. She became a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in 1967, when she began teaching high school mathematics. Over the years, she has taught basic math, prealgebra, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, precalculus, and calculus.
Through her studies and research, Pappas has developed products that address mathematical ideas, and she has written numerous books, both for the general public and for educational audiences. Her books include More Joy of Mathematics; The Joy of Mathematics; Mathematics Appreciation; Math Talk; Greek Cooking for Everyone; Fractals, Googols, and Other Mathematical Tales; Mathematical Footprints; The Magic of Mathematics; Math-A-Day; The Music of Reason; Mathematical Scandals; The Adventures of Penrose–the Mathematical Cat; and Math for Kids & Other People Too! - Nationality
- USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
FYI, this won't make you appreciate the joy of math unless you already do. I "liked" math in school, but I guess I don't have a mind for math. This book just gives you a brief description of myriad mathematical marvels such as the patterns, the equivalent of mathematical optical illusions, puzzles, riddles, "fascinating" tricks like "If you take any two numbers, and you do this, then this, then this, isn't it amazing how they eventually turn into a palindrome? " Well, no, actually, I show more couldn't care less. However, I do recommend this to people have a natural fascination with patterns and riddles (and the history of the number system), but this won't convert any literary-minded person into delighting in math. I haven't given up yet, though. I think I'll find a book that inspires me; there are plenty of them on my to-read list. show less
This engaging math activity book invites its readers in by framing mathematical experiments and activities within the frame of short stories. Throughout the book, the character Penrose the cat falls asleep atop his mistress's math materials, which transports him as he dreams to the different worlds of mathematics. This book is approachable enough for the interested middle schooler, but with enough challenging content to attract even adults who hold math as a hobby. Sidebars hold more show more detailed information about the history of the mathematics, or exploring the math in further depth, in addition to the content provided within the stories of the activities. An excellent find for a mathematics teacher and one that can easily be used as an interesting way to supplement lessons or for early finishers wishing to explore different math concepts show less
A treasure trove of stories that make mathematical ideas come to life with an unusual cast of characters. Explores mathematical concepts and topics such as real numbers, exponents, dimensions, and geometry in both serious and funny ways.
The preface is an adorable story about the author's cat becoming interested in the math paperwork strewn about the office. It's a great introduction to what is a challenging math storybook. The author uses humor, puzzles, mathematics principles, and anthropomorphized animals to communicate advanced math concepts.
Each section has a short story to go along with its corresponding math concept. This book is dedicated to teaching math to children on every level! There are even experiments like show more creating a Mobius strip and an origami bird!
This book covers mathematical concepts I have never heard of, so this book is literally a math book for all ages. I would assume gifted math students will find this compelling and will definitely broaden their horizons. It would be effortless to incorporate this book into a lesson plan. show less
Each section has a short story to go along with its corresponding math concept. This book is dedicated to teaching math to children on every level! There are even experiments like show more creating a Mobius strip and an origami bird!
This book covers mathematical concepts I have never heard of, so this book is literally a math book for all ages. I would assume gifted math students will find this compelling and will definitely broaden their horizons. It would be effortless to incorporate this book into a lesson plan. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 41
- Members
- 1,819
- Popularity
- #14,140
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 20
- ISBNs
- 74
- Languages
- 6
- Favorited
- 1