Prince George’s Co. library brings ancient mathematics to young learners
The most advanced system of mathematics of any ancient civilization will be taught to students in Prince George's County, Maryland, this week.
On this American Indian Heritage Month, The Largo Kettering Branch of the Prince George’s County Library System said it will be helping students learn Mayan Math beginning this Tuesday evening.
Kelly Holley Poole, the library associate facilitating the event, highlighted that we use a tens-based numerical system, while Mayan Math is a 20-based numerical system.
“So, they have 1, 20, 400, 8000, 160,000 and so on,” she told WTOP.
Holley-Poole said she went to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., to research how to do the math. She said it took her a little while to catch on, but she finally got it and feels ready to pass that knowledge to students.
Students will be using some of the same items the Mayans used in their system as well.
“The shell represents 0, a stick to represent five, and beans or seeds to represent one,” she said.
Holley-Poole says the class is geared toward students ages 5 through 12 and their parents, but she says they welcome teachers and younger students to take part in the system’s celebration of American Indian Heritage Month and continued STEM initiative.
She said she hopes kids learn life lessons from the session as well.
“Math helps us with our logic skills and it also helps us to see patterns, so what I want the children to see is the patterns in how they’re doing this math,” Holley-Poole said.
The event takes place Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Largo-Kettering Branch Library in the Largo Meeting Room located at 9601 Capital Lane in Largo.
Those who have questions about these and other events can call 240-455-5451 or email askalibrarian@pgcmls.info for more.