In this assignment, you’ll read about students using mathematics to analyze problems and advocate for change. Engaging students in activities like these is one way teachers make math meaningful to students. As you read, think both about the mathematical content and about the more general lessons for math teaching and learning.
(1) Read
Read the following chapter in which students use mathematics to investigate whether their school is overcrowded.
(2) Submit to Canvas
Respond to the following prompts in writing (approximately 1/2 page) or in an audio/video recording:
- Share at least one big idea or example from the reading that struck you, for whatever reason – it raised questions, it resonated with your own experiences, it inspired you, etc. Explain why the idea/example struck you as important. In your explanation, make an “explicit connection” to the reading by providing a quote or describing a specific example from the reading in detail.
- We use “ratios” to analyze overcrowding, because overcrowding isn’t just about how many people there are, it’s about the ratio between the number of people and the size of the space they’re in. (For example, 15 people would feel crowded in an elevator, but not in Husky Stadium.) Describe an area of your life when you use ratios. If you’re unsure, that’s okay – share your tentative ideas!