Math Blog

Welcome to the NCSSM Math Department’s blog! We’ll be posting here monthly to share our thoughts and ideas, and hopefully create opportunities to learn from others too. 

Written by Dan Teague, NCSSM Instructor of Mathematics

September 2021

Dan Teague uses "Poetry" written by Marianne Moore to describe two distinct types of mathematics that high school students can experience.

Written by Veronica Vazquez, NCSSM Instructor of Mathematics

July 2021

Veronica Vazquez shares three of her favorite mathy beach reads for those sunny days lounging on the sand. 

Written by Ron Lancaster, Associate Professor, 

University of Toronto as a Follow Up to our May post

June 2021

These questions will not take a huge byte out of class time.  Assign them to your students and see for yourself the power of these powers.

Written by Cheryl Gann, NCSSM Durham Chair of Mathematics

May 2021

What is mathematical modeling and how do you introduce students to modeling?  Learn how incorporating smaller, "bite-size" problems that require students to think and struggle helps prime the students for more extensive modeling in the future.

Contemporary Precalculus Through Applications

Written by Taylor Gibson , NCSSM Dean of Mathematics

January 2022


After several years of hard work the NCSSM Math Department is proud to announce that with the help of UNC Press we've completed the final touches on the third edition of our Contemporary Precalculus Through Applications textbook. After the second edition went out of print years ago we knew we wanted to revive this book and prepare it for future generations of students. The updated data sets, plots, and diagrams breathe new life into this classic textbook and the digital edition makes it easier than ever to make it your go-to Precalculus resource.