Grant Proposal
Name: Katelyn Adamson
Address: 1900 NW 13th St
Gainesville, FL 32609
Phone Number: (352) 955-6707
Applicant: I am a Mathematics teacher at Gainesville High School applying for funding for a Project-Based Unit in an Algebra II Classroom.
Program Name: Rational Rollercoasters
Total Cost: $2,153.90
Needs and Goals
Project-Based instruction focuses on the importance of using and applying mathematics in the real-world. In this project, Rational Rollercoasters, students will be working to create the "perfect" roller coaster based on their experiences, a basic understanding of certain physics concepts, and the rational numbers involved within the physics equations. The students will attend a field trip to Physics Day at Busch Gardens, which is located in Tampa, Florida. Physics Day will allow students to analyze data for the different rides after the real world experience to determine which components of the rollercoaster make that one the best rollercoaster, and how they could apply their favorite aspects of rollercoasters to create the perfect ride. Physics Day will also help students consider different safety and physics concepts come into play in building a roller coaster so they can be aware of these factors when planning their own coaster in groups. The goal of this project and unit is that in designing their own rollercoasters and working with the calculations and formulas necessary, students will discover an interesting connection between rational expressions and the real world.
In the unit surrounding this field trip, students will learn the definition of rational expression, simplifying rational expressions, operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of rational expressions, solving rational equations, and solving rational inequalities, as expressed in benchmarks
This project covers material mandated by the Alachua County pacing guide and is therefore applicable to the Algebra II mathematics classroom. Because Physics Day is an interactive and engaging way to relate rational expressions in a real-world application, it supports a rationale that education does not only have to take place within the classroom. Studies show that when students are able to make connections from their own experiences to material they are learning, they are more likely to retain the information, and while taking a classroom of students to Busch Gardens for the day would be costly, I believe the educational value outweighs the trip expense.
Description, Objectives, and Activities
Project Benchmarks:
Performance Objectives: Based on the benchmark lessons we are teaching, students will be able to...
There will be a number of resources used for this project. Many of the lesson plans are original so the worksheets which accompany them are therefore original as well. These were created by my teaching partner, Ashleigh Tucker, and myself. In addition to our original lessons, we redesigned a lesson which we adapted from Algebra 1 Activities Online by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston for our Investigative lesson, "Rollercoasters and Rational Expressions" (1). Other resources used for this unit include Busch Gardens Physics Day and their interactive stations which help students learn about physics concepts at play with the roller coasters. Students will utilize the Roller Coaster Data Base for their research day to predict which rollercoaster they think will be the "best" and provide reasoning for their choices (2). The rest of the unit will be implemented in the classroom I am teaching in and the computer lab on the day when students have their chance to research the rollercoaster stats. Furthermore we planned to watch two YouTube videos during the unit. (3)(4).
Plan of Action
Address: 1900 NW 13th St
Gainesville, FL 32609
Phone Number: (352) 955-6707
Applicant: I am a Mathematics teacher at Gainesville High School applying for funding for a Project-Based Unit in an Algebra II Classroom.
Program Name: Rational Rollercoasters
Total Cost: $2,153.90
Needs and Goals
Project-Based instruction focuses on the importance of using and applying mathematics in the real-world. In this project, Rational Rollercoasters, students will be working to create the "perfect" roller coaster based on their experiences, a basic understanding of certain physics concepts, and the rational numbers involved within the physics equations. The students will attend a field trip to Physics Day at Busch Gardens, which is located in Tampa, Florida. Physics Day will allow students to analyze data for the different rides after the real world experience to determine which components of the rollercoaster make that one the best rollercoaster, and how they could apply their favorite aspects of rollercoasters to create the perfect ride. Physics Day will also help students consider different safety and physics concepts come into play in building a roller coaster so they can be aware of these factors when planning their own coaster in groups. The goal of this project and unit is that in designing their own rollercoasters and working with the calculations and formulas necessary, students will discover an interesting connection between rational expressions and the real world.
In the unit surrounding this field trip, students will learn the definition of rational expression, simplifying rational expressions, operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of rational expressions, solving rational equations, and solving rational inequalities, as expressed in benchmarks
This project covers material mandated by the Alachua County pacing guide and is therefore applicable to the Algebra II mathematics classroom. Because Physics Day is an interactive and engaging way to relate rational expressions in a real-world application, it supports a rationale that education does not only have to take place within the classroom. Studies show that when students are able to make connections from their own experiences to material they are learning, they are more likely to retain the information, and while taking a classroom of students to Busch Gardens for the day would be costly, I believe the educational value outweighs the trip expense.
Description, Objectives, and Activities
Project Benchmarks:
- MACC.912.A-SSE.1.2: Use the structure of an expression to identify ways to rewrite it.
- MACC.912.A-APR.4.7:Understand that rational expressions form a system analogous to the rational numbers, closed under addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division by a nonzero rational expression; add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational expressions.
- MA.912.A.5.5: Solve Rational Equations.
Performance Objectives: Based on the benchmark lessons we are teaching, students will be able to...
- Define and identify what a rational expression is
- Simplify rational expressions excluding those in which factoring a polynomial is involved
- Simplify all rational expressions
- Find a common denominator between multiple rational expressions
- Perform addition and subtraction between two rational expressions
- Multiply rational expressions
- Divide rational expressions by multiplying by the reciprocal of the denominator
- Explain how a rational equation is different from a rational expression
- Solve a rational equation for an unknown variable
- Explain the difference between a rational inequality and a rational equation
- Solve a rational inequality for an unknown variable
- Express the solution in interval form
There will be a number of resources used for this project. Many of the lesson plans are original so the worksheets which accompany them are therefore original as well. These were created by my teaching partner, Ashleigh Tucker, and myself. In addition to our original lessons, we redesigned a lesson which we adapted from Algebra 1 Activities Online by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston for our Investigative lesson, "Rollercoasters and Rational Expressions" (1). Other resources used for this unit include Busch Gardens Physics Day and their interactive stations which help students learn about physics concepts at play with the roller coasters. Students will utilize the Roller Coaster Data Base for their research day to predict which rollercoaster they think will be the "best" and provide reasoning for their choices (2). The rest of the unit will be implemented in the classroom I am teaching in and the computer lab on the day when students have their chance to research the rollercoaster stats. Furthermore we planned to watch two YouTube videos during the unit. (3)(4).
Plan of Action
Evaluation
There are different methods of measuring that the objectives have been met. As aforementioned, there will be formative assessments to measure student understanding daily and there will be a summative assessment, or Unit Exam, upon completion of the first two weeks of benchmark lessons. In addition to these assessments, there a number of criteria students will be evaluated on for their project, such as designing a blueprint of the "perfect" rollercoaster as decided on by the group, showing the mathematics which supports their blueprint using rational numbers and expressions, presenting their blueprints to the classroom, equal distribution of work within their group, and the Research Day Activity they complete individually.
The criteria for success for each of these items can be found on the Project Rubric page:
There are different methods of measuring that the objectives have been met. As aforementioned, there will be formative assessments to measure student understanding daily and there will be a summative assessment, or Unit Exam, upon completion of the first two weeks of benchmark lessons. In addition to these assessments, there a number of criteria students will be evaluated on for their project, such as designing a blueprint of the "perfect" rollercoaster as decided on by the group, showing the mathematics which supports their blueprint using rational numbers and expressions, presenting their blueprints to the classroom, equal distribution of work within their group, and the Research Day Activity they complete individually.
The criteria for success for each of these items can be found on the Project Rubric page:
The Budget
At Physics day, one chaperone’s ticket per 8 students attending is included. So this will account for two chaperone’s attending in addition to myself.
Appendices
I studied and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics while completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Florida. I also graduated with a minor in UFTeach, which is a Secondary Education minor that focuses on education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related fields. While at the University of Florida, I was required to take upper-level courses in theoretical math which strengthened my understanding of secondary mathematics. Through the UFTeach minor, I learned and experienced firsthand in the field how to plan and implement inquiry-based lessons in a secondary mathematics classroom. The minor has also provided me with resources and tools for success in classroom management and engagement of students. I observed and taught lessons through practicums in the following settings:
Lawton M. Chiles Elementary School
Howard W. Bishop Middle School
Buchholz High School
Gainesville High School
(1) http://go.hrw.com/ndNSAPI.nd/gohrw_rls1/pKeywordResults?MA1%20Coaster%20Math
(2) http://rcdb.com/
(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYsfSkY4bFU
(4) http://wncpactivemath.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/ride-a-virtual-roller-coaster/
Appendices
I studied and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics while completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Florida. I also graduated with a minor in UFTeach, which is a Secondary Education minor that focuses on education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related fields. While at the University of Florida, I was required to take upper-level courses in theoretical math which strengthened my understanding of secondary mathematics. Through the UFTeach minor, I learned and experienced firsthand in the field how to plan and implement inquiry-based lessons in a secondary mathematics classroom. The minor has also provided me with resources and tools for success in classroom management and engagement of students. I observed and taught lessons through practicums in the following settings:
Lawton M. Chiles Elementary School
- 5th grade
- I observed 2 times and taught 3 lessons.
Howard W. Bishop Middle School
- 6th grade Advanced Math
- I observed 2 times and taught 3 lessons.
Buchholz High School
- 10th grade Geometry
- I observed 7 times and taught 3 lessons
Gainesville High School
- 10th grade Algebra II
- I observed 6 times and taught a 2-day lesson.
(1) http://go.hrw.com/ndNSAPI.nd/gohrw_rls1/pKeywordResults?MA1%20Coaster%20Math
(2) http://rcdb.com/
(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYsfSkY4bFU
(4) http://wncpactivemath.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/ride-a-virtual-roller-coaster/