PROPOSED GE COURSE: MATHEMATICS, CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Presented during the GE Champions/Advocates/Warriors Meeting, 20 November 2014
Brief Background of GE Math in UP
 Since the 1980s, the math teachers from the different CUs have met regularly (in workshops,
conferences) to discuss the teaching of math courses, particularly GE and service courses.
 Math 1 (Mathematics for General Education) was the common course during the late 1980s to
the 1990s. Initially focused on “skills”, the course has evolved through the years to become a
math appreciation course.
 With RGEP in 2001, new GE math courses were introduced by some units (UPD and UPLB)
 The proposed Math, Culture and Society builds on the long working history and shared
experience of the UP mathematics community.
GE Math Courses in UP
CU
UP Baguio
UPD
UP Clark
UPLB
UPV
UP Cebu
GE MATH COURSE
MATH 1
MATH 1
MATH 2
MATH 1
MATH 1
MATH 2
MATH 1
MATH 1
COURSE TITLE
Mathematics in Life
General Mathematics
Practical Mathematics
Math for General Education
Quantitative Reasoning
Problem Solving
Math for General Education
Math for General Education
The Proposed GE Course:
 Math appreciation courses are common and standard courses in many general education
programs
 The trend is a direct result of the underlying belief of many, experts and lay persons alike, that
every well-educated person should be mathematically literate.
 Although there are a variety of math courses that may be offered in GE programs, math
appreciation courses are popular because they cater to students of diverse interests, level of
mathematical training
 The proposed Math, Culture and Society course builds on the existing UP GE math courses,
particularly Math 1. It attempts to enhance inter/multi-disciplinarity and features more
harmonization in focus and coverage.
Philosophy of the Course
 The diversity of the student community and the richness of mathematics as a field of study
imply a wide range and diversity of topics that can be covered in the course.
 The course adheres to the recommendation of the Mathematical Association of America that
no particular selection of topics or teaching strategy should be universally adopted in a
mathematics appreciation course.
 We also believe that many of the course goals and objectives can be achieved regardless of the
specific concepts or topics that the course treats.
 An important feature is the flexibility of its outline.
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Principal unit topics and hours for each are specified but there is latitude in the selection of subtopics to keep the course fresh and to capitalize on the strengths of the faculty and the local
context.
The choice of topics is guided by the following:
o Accessibility: interesting math need not always be highly technical and built on layers
upon layers of concepts
o Applicability: connections between the math presented and concrete real-life situations
is direct and immediate
o Aesthetics: beauty and elegance often surface in the simplest ideas
The Course Syllabus
Course Title:
Mathematics, Culture and Society
Course Description:
Appreciation of the beauty and power of Math through the examination of its nature, development,
utility, and relationship with culture and society
Course Goals
 The ultimate goal of this course is to instill in the student an appreciation of mathematics,
particularly the significant role that mathematics plays in society, both past and present.
 For this to occur, students must come to understand the nature of math, its historical and
contemporary role, and to place the discipline properly in the context of other human
intellectual achievements.
Course Objectives:
At the end of this course, the student should be able to
 explain the nature of mathematics as an intellectual and creative discipline;
 recognize the importance of mathematics in various human activities;
 relate the concepts of mathematics to their field/s of interest;
 discuss the interplay of mathematics and society;
 produce creative work inspired by mathematical ideas; and
 discuss local and global issues and trends in mathematics.
Teaching Strategies and Assessment
 Various teaching strategies such as lectures, audio-visual presentations, group discussions, film
showing, math investigation and problem-solving exercises, reflection and reaction papers, and
outdoor activities may be utilized throughout the course.
 The teacher’s enthusiasm for what is being done as well as the appropriateness of the strategy
for the students in the course are generally more important than the actual strategy adopted.
 It is important however to include activities that engage the students in doing mathematics so
that they gain a realistic sense of the process and nature of mathematics.
Course Organization
 The organization of the course (five principal units) as well as the number of hours to be
devoted for each are specified.

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The main topics listed under each principal unit are expected to be covered but flexibility in
emphasis and detail is allowed.
The subtopics, teaching strategies, and activities are illustrative and may be modified, reduced,
augmented or substituted.
Course Outline:
I. Introduction
(4.5 hours)
A. Overview of the course
B. Numeracy and quantitative literacy
C. Student and public attitudes and perceptions of math
D. Preliminary reflections on the nature and practice of math
Suggested Activities for Unit 1:
 Essay on personal perception on Math
 Short film or audio-visual presentation
II. Nature of Math: math as a language, way of thinking, creative activity, and tool
A. Logic and reasoning
B. Philosophical foundations
Platonism, formalism: is mathematics created or discovered?
C. Abstraction, symbols
D. Axiomatic systems, rigor, proof, and truth in mathematics
E. Sets
F. Numbers
 Numeration systems
 Real numbers, modular number systems
G. Shapes
 Euclid’s geometry and the discovery of non-euclidean geometries
 Finite and other modern geometries
H. Functions
 Change, growth, and mathematical modeling
 A peek into the calculus
I. Mathematics as the science of patterns
(15 hours)
Suggested activities for Unit II
 Group or individual project on numeration systems
 Creative project using modular systems, numbers or geometric patterns
 Thought activity, debate or discussion on creation vs discovery
 Illustration of conceptual/abstract versus algorithmic thinking through famous proofs (infinitude
of primes, 4-color theorem)
 Midterm exam/assessment (mandatory)
III. Utility and Ubiquity: math in different disciplines
A. Arts and Humanities
 Math in visual arts and design
(18 hours)

works of Alberti, Da Vinci, Escher and other artists (symmetry, proportion,
perspectivity)
 tilings, tesselations, and weaving designs
 Math in music and dance
 Math in literature
 Alice in Wonderland and the works of Lewis Caroll
 Poetry and literary forms: haiku, tanaga, dalit
 Math in folk and popular culture
B. Social Sciences
 Voting theory and the math of social choice
 Game theory and analysis of conflict and competition
 Group theory and kinship relations
 Social networks, small world networks, and the use of graphs
C. Science, Engineering and Technology
 Math in nature: golden ratio, Fibonacci numbers
 Technology, computers and their impact on mathematics
 Math in medicine and the life sciences
 Operations research, manufacturing, transportation, and mathematical programming
Suggested activities for Unit III:
 Interview an artist, musician or professional and gather reflections on their profession or craft
and its relation to mathematics
 Create music video, short film, music composition or dance choreography that incorporates
math ideas
 Create/report on literary art that incorporates math ideas
 Report on mathematical concepts found in UP symbols and icons: Oblation, chapels
 Construct collaboration or friendship graphs
 Conduct voting exercises using different voting methods
 Play simple games (Sudoku, Game of Trumps, etc.) and analyze its rules and strategies
 Do role playing, creating rules for marriage and kinship in clans
IV. Issues and Trends in Mathematics
(7.5 hours)
Suggested Topics:
 Math and Gender
 Truth and Certainty in Math
 Mathematics in the Philippines
 Ethnomathematics/ Critical Mathematics/ Humanistic Mathematics
 Great Problems: Solved and Unsolved
Suggested Activities for Unit IV:
 Play a game: Male “versus” Female (Math and Gender)
 Visit a cockpit and study the math of “cristos”
 Discussion: role of math in history and society and role of history and society in the
development of math (cause or effect)
 Debate (example: death of proof; is technology changing the way we do math?)
V. What is Mathematics, Really?
A. Integration and Summary
(3 hours)
Suggested Activities for Unit V:
 Group or individual creative project on what is math, really
 Final exam/assessment (mandatory)
References and Resources:
 There is a large body of writing and materials available.
 The different math departments have more than adequate references and resources.
 We list the categories (individual titles too numerous)
o General references and survey books on the nature and practice of mathematics
o History and other specialized books
o Essays and articles
o Films and documentaries
o Video clips and podcasts
o Websites and homepages
Agreements during the Mini-Conference: 28-30 August 2014
o Up to CUs to decide if course will be a required GE
o Course is designed for students at any year level and recommended especially for arts, humanities
and social science students.
o CUs/teachers will determine reading lists; it is possible to prescribe a minimum set of required
readings common to all CUs
o CUs will share instructional materials, resources
o Syllabus will be polished to ensure OBE-format
o Parts of the course are being pilot-tested this semester and in the coming semester