The year was 1956, Martin Gardner who had never taken a math course since high school left his job with Humpty Dumpty and began writing recreational math for Scientific American. Mr. Gardner just turned 95 and has now published 70 books! He has probably turned more people on to the joy of math than anyone else! Why? Because he makes math fun! "He has turned thousands of children into mathematicians, and thousands of mathematicians into children."
Ronald Graham, University of California.
Many teachers use Gardner's puzzles as part of the problem solving in their math program. Making math fun should be the goal for all math teachers. Learn more about Gardner in the NYT article.
See also, some fun recreational math activities.
Comments
Makinig math fun can be done with chess too and this is something that will get lots of attention from kids.
Math and chess makes math fun.
Martin Gardner has published incredible books that are great to use in the classroom! This year 2010 was the ninth Gathering for Gardner where people gather from all over the world in his honor and discuss mathematics, magic and puzzles. I’ve written about it in my blog. Check it out!
Tanya
What a sweet little old man, Martin is! An open window to the soul with clairevoyance. Congrats on this great gathering! 2 thumbs up! Go Gardner!