Teaching Mathematics with Ephemera: John Playfair's Course Outline for Practical Mathematics

In addition to printed books and articles, correspondence, and manuscripts, the history of mathematics is documented by printed materials that were designed for temporary use. These items, called "ephemera," may be incorporated into a variety of K–16 classrooms. The article provides suggestions and resources for identifying ephemera that may be relevant to an instructor's topics or students. It also shares an example of how a historian has analyzed a piece of ephemera that is rare in print but was digitized in early 2019. Finally, a few suggestions for teaching mathematics with ephemera are listed.

MAA brochure on careers in mathematics, ca 1982. In the author's possession.