From Flatland to Cannonballs – designing historical lessons and workshops for secondary school pupils & their teachers

In this talk I will outline framework I have designed and used that has helped me create engaging history of mathematics lessons and workshops for pupils aged 11+ as well as train teachers to do the same. This presupposes a use of history of mathematics to enchant and engage, rather than create an academic account or lecture for a listening audience. It is, in other words, a practical guidance to be discussed further at the end of the talk.

Starting from familiar contexts such as Flatland, honeycombs, and cannonball stacks, a number of lessons and workshops can be designed to motivate curiosity for learning more about exciting mathematical ideas as well as exploring high-dimensional concepts. This talk is suitable for all and anyone interested in the role the history of mathematics can play in mathematics education.