The Right Stuff
Modules

Overview

The Right Stuff--Promoting materials that engage students in meaningful activities, promote the effective use of technology to support the mathematics, further equip students with stronger problems solving and critical thinking skills, as well as enhance numeracy. 

1.0 Ma and Pa Talk Mathematics

Reading graphs; modeling

Students will model data obtained from MPG vs MPH with a cubic function. They investigate the rate of change of MPG to MPH. 

1.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 1 zipped file includes the following files:

1.1 Student Worksheet
1.2 Teacher Worksheet
1.3 Excel
1.4 TI Nspire™

2.0 Generator Math

Linear modeling

Students will find a model that will enable them to predict the number of hours a generator will run on gallons of fuel based on data obtained experimentally. 

2.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 2 zipped file includes the following files:

2.1 Student Worksheet
2.2 Teacher Worksheet
2.3 Excel
2.4 TI Nspire™

3.0 Super Snacks

Quadratic modeling

Students will investigate the number of super snacks sold as the price is changed in order to find the price that gives the maximum revenue.

3.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 3 zipped file includes the following files:

3.1 Student Worksheet
3.2 Teacher Worksheet
3.3 Excel
3.4 TI Nspire™

4.0 Data Mining Math

Set Theory and Conditional Probability

Students will learn the terminology of data mining and be able to calculate support and confidence.

4.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 4 zipped file includes the following files:

4.1 Student Worksheet
4.2 Teacher Worksheet
4.3 Excel

5.0 Soap Bubbles, Cheesecake Factories, and Cell Phone Towers

Linear Functions

Students will investigate the shape of Voronoi diagrams; specifically, finding the edges using linear equations. 

5.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 5 zipped file includes the following files:

5.1 Student Worksheet
5.2 Teacher Worksheet
5.3 Excel
5.4 TI Nspire™

6.0 Hurricanes – This Will Blow You Away

Quadratic Functions

Students will investigate the quadratic relationship between wind speed and wind pressure.

6.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 6 zipped file includes the following files:

6.1 Student Worksheet
6.2 Teacher Worksheet
6.3 Excel
 

7.0 A Slice of Liver

Linear Functions

Students will investigate the signal intensity ratio found from MRI graphics in order to predict the amount of iron in the liver. 

7.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 7 zipped file includes the following files:

7.1 Student Worksheet
7.2 Teacher Worksheet
7.3 Excel
7.4 TI Nspire™

8.0 Bioequivalence

Logarithms and exponents

Students will calculate the constants that are used to judge the bioequivalence of two drugs.

8.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

8.5 Video Model (wmv 25 MB)

Module 8 zipped file includes the following files:

8.1 Student Worksheet
8.2 Teacher Worksheet
8.3 Excel
8.4 TI Nspire™

9.0 The Mathematics of Crop Circles

Area and Optimization

Students investigate the area of geometric regions in order to find optimal values. 

9.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 9 zipped file includes the following files:

9.1 Student Worksheet
9.2 Teacher Worksheet
9.3 Excel
9.4 TI Nspire™

10.0 Minimizing Distance to a Cell Phone Tower

Geometry, modeling, and optimization

Students investigate the distance from a moving point on a line to another point in order to find a model and the minimum distance.

10.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 10 zipped file includes the following files:

10.1 Student Worksheet
10.2 Teacher Worksheet
10.3 Excel
10.4 TI Nspire™

11.0     What If ...

Problem solving and multiple representations of functions

This collection of real world functions requires students to investigate what happens when parameters of a function change. Students will explain how the graph changes as the parameters change.  Functions include quadratic, rational, logistic, and exponential.

11.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 11 zipped file includes the following files:

11.1 Student Worksheet
11.2 Teacher Worksheet
11.3 Excel
11.4 TI Nspire™

12.0    Looking Into The Future…Value

Linear and Exponential Functions

Students will investigate the change in the future value of a single deposit as one of the variables (PV, i or n) is increased while the others remain constant.

12.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 12 zipped file includes the following files:

12.1 Student Worksheet
12.2 Teacher Worksheet
12.3 Excel
12.4 TI Nspire™

13.0 Reading and Interpreting Graphs

Graphs and pictographs

Students will examine graphs and pictographs.

13.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 13 zipped file includes the following files:

13.1 Student Worksheet
13.2 Teacher Worksheet
13.3 Excel

14.0 Modeling and its Limitations

Introduction to the Sine Function

Students investigate data from the Internet on the length of a day, sunrise to sunset.  There are several models that might work for data over only 30 to 45 days but what happens after that?  This includes an introduction to the  sine function.

14.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 14 zipped file includes the following files:

14.1 Student Worksheet
14.2 Teacher Worksheet
14.3 Excel
14.4 TI Nspire™

15.0   Piecewise Defined Functions

Linear Functions

Students investigate scenarios that require piecewise defined functions.

15.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 15 zipped file includes the following files:

15.1 Student Worksheet
15.2 Teacher Worksheet
15.3 Excel
15.4 TI Nspire™

16.0     Compound Interest--Linear Functions

Linear Functions

Students will calculate the output of a function given an input, create a table of values for a function in two variables, and recognize tht a table of data represents a constant change in y with respect to x and determine that a linear function is the appropriate model for that data.

16.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 16 zipped file includes the following files:

16.1 Student Worksheet
16.2 Teacher Worksheet
16.3 Excel
16.4 TI Nspire™

17.0     Math of Finance--Exponential and Power Functions

Exponential and Power Functions

Students will investigate the relationship between the term of an investment and the future value.   

17.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 17 zipped file includes the following files:

17.1 Student Worksheet
17.2 Teacher Worksheet
17.3 Excel

18.0     Archimedes' Law

Linear Functions, Algebra, and Table of Values

Students will either use data provided (see video) or collect their own data on the apparent change in the weight of an object submerged in water. The line of best fit provides the density of water in grams per cubic centimeter. The concept may be further explored in a problem that requires the student to find the depth to which a wooden ball will be submerged. 

18.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 18 zipped file includes the following files:

18.1     Student Worksheet
18.2     Teacher Notes
18.3     Excel

18.4     TI-Nspire™ Student

18.4     TI-Nspire™ Teacher

18.5     Pictures

18.5 zipped file with the Video--Data Collection (wmv format 38 MB zipped)

19.0    Standard Deviation

Standard Deviation and Mean

This short classroom activity will help  students to understand the concept of standard deviation as they manipulate data to make the mean and standard deviation some given value.

19.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 19 zipped file includes the following files:

19.1 Student Worksheet
19.2 Teacher Worksheet
19.3 Excel

20.0    Boxes and Cylinders

Data, Modeling, and Algebra

This hands-on activity helps students grasp the concepts of area and volume as they construct a box with a top with a given volume and a given dimension.  The ideas are then used to explore the dimensions of a tin can with a minimum amount of surface area and a given volume.

20.2 Teacher Worksheet with Notes (pdf)

Module 20 zipped file includes the following files:

20.1 Student Worksheet
20.2 Teacher Worksheet
20.3 Excel
20.4 TI Nspire™