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Beyond Flat Geometry

In this 10-week online course, students will extend their knowledge of Euclidean Geometry to the surface of a Polyhedron. Starting with the surface of a cone, we will learn how surfaces bend and the resulting geometry.
Class
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What's included

10 live meetings
10 in-class hours
Assignments
2-4 hours per week. Weekly assignments will help students explore the material we covered and prime them for challenges we will face in the next meeting.
Certificate of Completion
1 after class completion

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12
Advanced Level
This class is an introduction to Non-Euclidean Geometry and builds on the content of a standard High School Geometry course. To my knowledge, the material in this course is not part of any curriculum on the secondary or post-secondary level. It is the byproduct of my graduate work in Geometric Group Theory and spending many years teaching high school students. 

Offering material that is intuitive and accessible to teens, but also is beautiful and has deep mathematical roots has been a calling for me. I believe Kieran Egan said this best: "We represent the world to children as mostly known and rather dull. The opposite is the case: we are surrounded by mystery, and what we know is fascinating."

Class meetings will start with a discussion of ideas and discoveries from the week. We will then establish a common vocabulary and I will identify and discuss a clear area of inquiry for the next week. After class, I will distribute a summary of new material from the day and guiding questions that will build on these topics and encourage students to explore the material. 

As a nonstandard class, the primary goal is to foster creativity and exploration while adhering to a mathematically rigorous framework. Following the students' lead, I will guide the group deeper into topics they find interesting. This creates a positive feedback loop that rewards curiosity in a collaborative and supportive way. 

For an example of how our first lesson will start, review the following PDF:
https://divmath.org/files/GeoAdv.pdf
Learning Goals
Discover the Intrinsic Geometry of the Surface of a Polyhedron.
Understand Descartes' Theorem and its implications.
learning goal

Syllabus

10 Lessons
over 10 Weeks
Lesson 1:
The Corner of a Cube
 Following the introductory video, we look at the geometry around the corner of a cube. I introduce the concepts of Intrinsic and Extrinsic geometry, and we discover the "bigon" (a 2-sided polygon?!). 
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Geodesics on a Cone
 Generalizing the example of a cube, we examine the infinite cone and look to see how Euclid's Postulates hold up. 
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Polygons on a Cone
 Interior and Exterior angles for polygons were a simple idea on the plane. We update them for the infinite cone. 
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Bigon Congruence Theorem for the Cone
 Just like there is a collection of Triangle Congruence Theorems in Euclidean Geometry, we will learn the analogue for the cone. 
60 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Pre-Requisites
Students should have already taken a standard geometry class, including Triangle Congruence Theorems, Circle Theorems, and an introduction to Right Triangle Trigonometry. For Examples, see PDF: https://divmath.org/files/GeoReady.pdf
Supply List
Plain Paper, scissors, and tape to create models of the objects we are studying. 
Access to a printer outside of class-time to print templates.
 2 files available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined August, 2024
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Doctoral Degree in Mathematics from Brandeis University
Master's Degree in Mathematics from Brandeis University
Bachelor's Degree in Physics from Bates College
Nate has a PhD in Mathematics from Brandeis University outside of Boston and triple majored in Math, Physics and Chemistry at Bates College in Lewiston Maine. He has spent 7+ years teaching at the post-secondary level and 7 years teaching at the secondary level. He has taught nearly every math course at both of these levels, from Honors to Foundational.

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Live Group Course
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$57

weekly or $567 for 10 classes
1x per week, 10 weeks
60 min

Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
4-8 learners per class

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