The History and Mystery of Numbers

In this class we will discuss the prehistoric origins of recorded counting, the development of different modes of counting and the development of numbers in the ancient world. From marks made on bones and stones to modern numerals, the history of numbers, the cornerstone of mathematics is fascinating.
In this class we will explore counting methods from many ancient cultures, experiment with many numeric forms, and delve into the philosophies that became deeply intertwined with numbers.
Through discussion, Power Point, and pencil and paper, we will see counting as our ancestors did. 

Week One: Prehistory: Counting Before Numbers. how did people keep track of amounts before numerals existed?
Week Two:  Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt
Week Three: Ancient Greece (Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations)
Week Four: Mesoamerica (Incan and Mayan Civilizations)
Week Five: Roman Numerals
Week Six: The Indian-Arabic Numeric System
Week Seven: The Discovery of Zero: Bases and Place Value
Week Eight: Pythagoras and the Philosophical Meaning of Numbers
Week Nine: The Golden Mean, Sacred Geometry, and the Mathematics of the Universe
Week Ten: The Arc from Pythagoras into Modern Mathematics (Simplified)|

This class is a history class, more than a math class, but it will give students a foundation of the purpose and beauty of math and its place in the universe. I also hope it will be fun to explore different cultures, their methods of written calculation, and their philosophies about math's importance,  influence, and purpose.