Math for the People

Preface A Note for Instructors

Math for the People is designed to be used for an introductory college-level course in quantitative reasoning, with an emphasis on social justice. Unlike a traditional mathematics textbook, the text is organized by social justice topics, with each module teaching the mathematics concepts needed to understand and work for change in a particular social justice area.

Each module is designed to be independent, although there may be overlap. Instructors are encouraged to proceed through the modules in the order that they find suitable, or to choose modules in consultation with their students. Each module is designed to be completed in approximately two weeks of a standard 16-week semester, or one week of an 8-week quarter (6-8 class contact hours).

Each module is structured identically, beginning with introductory material about the social justice topic and a discussion of the parameters of the problem being discussed. Once students have a fundamental understanding of the topic, the module introduces them to mathematical skills which they can use to analyze the problem. Finally, each module culminates in a section which encourages students to use their mathematical skills to engage with the social justice topic.

Because the topics which we are discussing in this class can be emotionally charged and "political," we encourage faculty to plan for this in advance. The University of Waterloo offers a comprehensive set of tips for facilitating discussion of difficult topics⁴ (Facilitating Effective Discussions. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo, CC-BY-NC-4.0⁵), some of which are summarized below:

• Establish ground rules for discussion. A suggested set of ground rules is provided in A Note for Students. You can ask the class if they have other rules they would like to add.

• Encourage students to participate in multiple different ways, including verbal, written, and electronic participation. Some students may need more time to collect their thoughts for sharing.

• Actively work to include all students in the discussion. Don't allow one or two students to dominate the conversation or discourage contradiction.

• Group students and ask them to focus in one part of the issue and report back to the whole class. Sharing ideas with a small group can be more comfortable initially.

• Be comfortable with silence. Long pauses are a natural part of discussion on difficult topics - if you fill the space too quickly, it can discourage active discussion.

• Limit your own involvement. You can correct misinformation or enforce group rules, but the point of a discussion is to hear & value student input.

Instructors who use the textbook are encouraged to fill out the Math for the People Instructor's Feedback Form⁶ or to join our ⁶ or to join our Hypothes.is group⁷. Hypothes.is is an online annotation tool which allows you to make private annotations on public webpages. Once you create an account and join our group, you can install a browser plugin which will allow you to make comments directly on the textbook webpage. Those comments will be visible to anyone with access to the hypothes.is group.