Exploring Character through Mathematics
Evil: More Than the Sum of Its Parts?
Tom Heilman
Washington International School, Upper School English Teacher
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program English A (advanced) course, grade 12
Tom's guiding question: How might I use mathematics to help students think more deeply about characterization and move away from the use of generic descriptors such as good and evil? After listening to a set of practice 12th grade oral commentaries on extracts from Shakespeare's Othello, Tom was left with several unresolved questions: What were students thinking when they referred to Iago as evil? Why did they not elaborate on their understanding of evil? Were they, in fact, pushing themselves to develop their own understanding of what they meant by the term? To resolve these questions, Tom developed a structured thinking routine involving mathematics, which invited the students to consider their understanding of Iago and convey it meaningfully. The video tracks the assignment and features Tom and one of his students reflecting on its effect.
