Abstract
The paper introduces Benjamin Banneker, an African American born in 1731, who made enormous contributions to the study of mathematics. The paper discusses his spheres of interest in the field, including clock building, astronomy, tide and weather. It discusses, too, his widely publicized almanac that served as a contradiction to the American belief that blacks were inferior, and his contribution to the building of the city of Washington D.C.

From the Paper
"In addition to creating America's first clock, his studies in astronomy made a mathematical calculations of the stars and constellations, which he used to correctly predict a solar eclipse that took place on April 14, 1789. Furthermore, Banneker was not quiet about this contradiction. Infact, he was a social critic of slavery. Thus, it was this reason and an attempt to promote change; he sent a copy of his first Almanac to Thomas Jefferson."

Tags:slave, Sable, Genius, Josef, Levi, Jefferson, L'Enfant

Abstract
This paper addresses the question, "How did artistic expression that arose from oppression suffered by Holocaust victims and slaves of early America help provide inspiration and cultural works of record?" The writer suggests that through the artistic expression of those who succeeded despite their oppression, we can inspire and motivate fifth-grade students. A program of discussion sessions, role-playing and hands-on projects aimed at helping the students to learn concepts in math, science, language arts and social studies is outlined.

From the Paper
"Through the analysis of artwork, social studies lessons can unfold. We will learn whether stories portrayed in paintings, sculpture, writings and music have been skewed by history and what significance they represent today to students of math, science, language arts and social studies. In addition, there are dozens of stories where people have escaped the clutches of either a tyrant slave master or cruel Nazi. Many discussions can evolve from both sets of experiences. Through these discussions and analysis, fifth-grade students can also come to understand perseverance, a lesson that can't be taught through multiplication tables."

Tags:math, science, language, Nazi, Banneker, Wheatly, Weisel, Gotfryd, colonialist