Create a lesson plan that puts math and science in context for your students.
Creating a Unit on Air Quality
Many mathematics teachers insist that what they teach is free from social context. Both traditional and reform math curricula is filled with that orientation, as in this example from Discovering Algebra: An Investigative Approach:
The first three members of the stilt-walking relay team finished their laps of the race with a mean time of 53 seconds per lap. What mean time for the next two members will give a mean time of 50 seconds per lap? (Murdock et. al. 2002, p. 48)
Students attempting to solve this problem often remark, "Who cares?" Since they don't, they lose interest not only in the exercise, but ultimately in the overall connection of math to life.
An increasing number of math teachers say the best way to counter that long-term disconnect is to reach students' imaginations by putting math into a social context, one that also is directly relevant to life. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics said much the same in 2000 in a document identifying national mathematics content standards (NCTM, 2000).
While many mathematics teachers have responded by becoming thoughtful about context, they often do not expand that context to include social justice. And even though most mathematics texts written in the last 10 years claim to address the diversity of students place mathematics in " real-world" context, this effort falls short in requiring students to think about the real-world implications of what they can understand through numbers.
The good news is that teachers can take the initiative by providing social justice-oriented tasks that are both interesting and accessible to students. Indeed, once the infinite links between math and society are perceived, it's almost impossible not to use mathematics as a platform for community activism and struggle against injustice.
One such area is as obvious as the air we breathe, the quality of which often reveals much about inequalities based on factors such as class and race that determine where we live, work and go to school.
Evidence from research studies in the United States shows that in economically stressed cities, for example, air pollution-related morbidity and mortality are worse than in more prosperous cities. One effective way to investigate that in the class is to use math for an Air Quality Unit.
Lesson Plan: The Air Quality Unit
For this six-period activity, assign students in the class to small working groups. This enhances cooperative learning and improves mathematics achievement. Discuss with them the relation of math to social context, and identify the objective of the unit: the measurement and evaluation of the air in a city or location.
Give them a brief introductory overview of what they will be doing each day of the unit. It is recommended that data is collected 20 days prior to starting the unit. Data can also be collected daily over a longer period of time, but should be available to students at the beginning of the unit. Then, every day, make them aware of the way that the use of their evolving math skills is helping them with real-world issues. Be sure to acquaint them with the various online resources (below) that will be used to research and solve the activities.
Day 1: Measures of Central Tendency
How did you determine your selection? Explain.
What might account for the better overall air quality?
Day 2: Bar Graphs
Day 3: Box Plots and Stem and Leaf Plots
Day 4: Two Variable Data
Day 5: Presentation
Links:
[1] http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.main
[2] http://www.accuweather.com/index.asp?partner=chicagosuntimes&traveler=0&zipChg=1