Powerful Mathematicians Who Changed the World, Grades 3-5: Maria Ascher and Knotting Numbers

When Liliana has her first day at a new school, she’s nervous about making new friends, and a math problem in her class doesn’t help. After she shares her abuela’s strategy for solving the problem, some of her classmates don’t understand or think her way is wrong. Liliana’s teacher, Ms. Edwards, asks her friend Marcia Ascher, a professor and mathematician, to describe to the students how different cultures have their own ways of doing math. In Knotting Numbers, you can learn alongside Liliana and her classmates as Professor Ascher explains that there isn’t always just one way to solve a math problem—which makes math even more interesting for everyone!

Knotting Numbers is part of the Powerful Mathematicians Who Changed the World Book Series

When Liliana has her first day at a new school, she’s nervous about making new friends, and a math problem in her class doesn’t help. After she shares her abuela’s strategy for solving the problem, some of her classmates don’t understand or think her way is wrong. Liliana’s teacher, Ms. Edwards, asks her friend Marcia Ascher, a professor and mathematician, to describe to the students how different cultures have their own ways of doing math. In Knotting Numbers, you can learn alongside Liliana and her classmates as Professor Ascher explains that there isn’t always just one way to solve a math problem—which makes math even more interesting for everyone!

Eva Thanheiser is a professor of mathematics education at Portland State University. Her work explores teacher learning and motivation in mathematics, emphasizing equity and the integration of social and political contexts in instruction.

Naomi Jessup is an associate professor of mathematics education at Georgia State University. Her work explores equity in mathematics teaching and teacher learning in urban school contexts.