Kuyers Math Curriculum
Kuyers Mathematics is a mathematics curriculum resource funded by the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning. It is a fresh approach to mathematics, designed to be both interesting and applicable to the world we live in. It integrates a Christian approach, using mathematics to think about and better understand God, his creation, and our place and calling in the world.
The curriculum was developed so that students worldwide would have access to free mathematics lessons with a strong Christian perspective. A team of experienced high school math teachers collaborated with several professors of mathematics to create the lessons that are offered here. The lessons are free for use in either the classroom setting or with students one-on-one. We only ask that you not republish the lessons in any way without written permission.
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These lessons are designed to supplement and enrich a high-school level mathematics curriculum. They may be used as a whole or selectively to enhance students’ understanding of topics and their ability to connect these topics with their lives as Christians. Topics range from the philosophical—why a study of math is important—to the beautiful—examining the Fibonacci numbers and the golden spiral, and from the theoretical—examining hypercubes to understand higher dimensions—to the applied—calculating how compounding interest helps one save for retirement.
Lessons
Many people don't enjoy math. Some don't think math is useful to their lives. Is it important to study math? In this lesson we look at the study of math from a biblical and historical perspective and consider what are good reasons for studying math.
People often think that math is very logical, factual, and formal. These are characteristics of a modern perspective. Is math really like this, or can it be relative and subjective? In this lesson we consider mathematics from both a modern and a postmodern perspective; in the process, we learn about the cultures in which we live.
You've probably heard of the Fibonacci numbers before: it is a sequence of numbers that continually comes up in nature. In this lesson we explore the Fibonacci numbers in conjunction with the golden ratio as they appear in God's creation.
Exponential functions are useful for studying many different things, such as financial investments and population growth. In this lesson we explore exponential functions in the context of such common situations.
Have you ever tried to think about multiple dimensions until your head hurt? One way to better understand multiple dimensions is by studying hypercubes.
The image to the left is an animation of a four-dimensional hypercube rotating through its fourth spatial dimension.
One thing that mathematics gives us the power to do is take data and use it to make models and predictions. In this lesson we'll look at facts about how we treat the environment and what the impacts could be. At the same time we'll learn about different types of functions and how we can fit data to them.
Math is very useful when it comes to describing events. This is especially true in different disciplines of science. In this lesson we will use mathematics to better understand the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.
The issue of gender equality is one that societies have had to struggle with for a long time. In this lesson we discuss issues about how women are treated by societies. One question that will be discussed is whether men and women are paid fairly.
The goal of this lesson is to encourage you to become wary of making decisions before seeing all the evidence, or hearing both sides of an argument.