Connecting Math to Science
These resources could each serve as an integrated project for a math-science teacher team. Each offers middle grade students opportunities to apply mathematical processes and skills to the study of a scientific concept. And each was selected for its potential to show mathematics at work in the wide world outside the textbook.
There are "real" problems to solve as students consider such aeronautical questions as flight paths, passenger capacity, lift off, and airplane design. Designed as an online curriculum for students with physical disabilities in grades 4-7, the activities involve students in simulated aeronautics-related careers. The material is presented with color and pizzazz but covers significant mathematical topics: computation, pre-algebra, measurement, problem solving, and reading and interpreting charts. MSP full record
Here is the question: What causes a pot of water to boil? In this project, students consider several factors that could affect the boiling point of water, such as room temperature, elevation, volume of water, and heating device. Students from all over the world boil water at different elevations and post data on these factors to discover which has the greatest influence on boiling point. Careful and complete instructions are included on how to control the variables in the experiment, how to record information, and how to post results to the international database. Teachers will also find lesson plans and thoughtful questions for class discussion. MSP full record
In this project, students from around the world gather data to determine how average daily temperature and hours of sunlight change with distance from the equator. They apply their knowledge of measurement, data collection and analysis as they monitor temperature and hours of sunlight over a common week. In comparing their results with classes from all over the world, they look for patterns in relation to their proximity to the equator. Lesson plans, all worksheets, and directions for joining the international collection of data are available on the site. MSP full record
This site offers an innovative curriculum for K-8 mathematics. Based on a study of tidepools of the Pacific, the two lessons ask students to work as scientists—counting the number of mussels in a sample, estimating the number in the entire pool, determining the mean and looking for outliers. Photographs (linked from the homepage) of the mussel beds are to be enlarged in order for students to actually make a count of the sample. The experience of counting the mussels and reaching conclusions mirrors the work of scientists who study biological environments using the tools of mathematics. Provided in the lessons are questions for discussion and background information for the teacher. Also included on the site are flashcards of different creatures that inhabit tidal pools. This is one of several activities at Minerals Management Services: Kids Pages from the U.S. Department of the Interior. MSP full record
This middle school mathematics module, developed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), uses real-time weather data and current environmental issues to promote the learning of mathematics. Students collect temperature data, identify various statistics of the data, and read and interpret temperature maps. These activities are solidly connected to data analysis, patterns, statistics and measurement. The web site includes all of the background information needed for teachers to use the module as well as lesson plans, student handouts, and assessments. MSP full record
This online project immerses students in real-time data, its collection and analysis. Through lessons complete with activity sheets, students study the correlation between earthquakes and tectonic plates; ultimately, they determine whether or not there is a relationship between volcanoes and plate boundaries. Activities link students to real-time earthquake and volcano data, introduce them to meaningful collection and display of the data, and guide them in how use the information to solve a real-world problem. MSP full record
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Copyright
October 2006 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
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This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
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