PROJECT BASED LEARNING
“We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics.” -Katherine Johnson NASA Research Mathematician
One of my favorite math teachers in high school had us do projects. It was the first time that I had to apply the math I learned to something that existed in real life. I loved seeing where the math lived in the real world and being able to apply my own creative touch. It made the class a lot more enjoyable for me.
Below is just a few of my most recent projects that I have used in my classes.
Integrated Math 1 (or Algebra 1) Project
Planning a City
Recently, I did a project that had students apply concepts learned about Linear Functions to plan a city. This project was not only a great way for students to practice the skills, but also allowed students to see an application of the skill as a career.
Navigation Project
The navigation project exposes students to the application of trigonometry concepts, such as the law of sines and law of cosines, and learn the history of mathematics in travel. I love that the history portion of the project actually shows the connection between trigonometry and logarithms.
Integrated Math 3 (or Algebra 2) Project
Integrated Math 2 (or Geometry) Project
Clinometer Project
A clinometer is a tool used to measure angles. This project has students create a clinometer and then go outside and measure angles of
Other Portfolio Projects
Also see the assessment tab for Portfolio Projects, which are smaller projects done at the end of chapters.