Correlation All-Star -- Integrated Sports Project

Bring an authentic sports-based 21st Century Math Project  to your Algebra, Algebra 2 or PreCalculus classroom with Lines of Best Fit and Correlations! In my opinion, correlations are the most under taught skill in all of high school math! I mean for a student to function in the real world, tell my 5 topics that are more important. Do it! 

Stop watching March Madness on your phone and join the pros

Name: Correlation All-Star

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra 1, Algebra 2, PreCalculus skills)

Math Concepts: Scatterplots, Lines of Best Fit, Correlations

Interdisciplinary Connections: Sports and Finance

Teaching Duration: 4-5 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $6 for a 42 Page PDF (1 project, 3 assignment and handouts) 

PDF Version: Correlation All-Star @ TPT

The Product: Students do an in depth statistical analysis around the research question: "Can Money Buy Championships?"

Come over here and let me tell you
about when I saw Ralph Kiner score
the winning touchdown to win the
Stanley Cup!

Sports always seems to me to every math teachers go to engaging word problem. If it can be done with sports in it, then they'll like it. I always had a strange perspective on this because I loved sports -- but I knew who many of the people in my classes didn't. I always wondered how they felt during those problems. 

What's a football?

So here we are my largest foray into an authentic sports project. I've tried to write this in such a way that it can be super engaging for young sports fans (and old teacher sports fans!), but the problems are rigorous enough that the math takes precedent. This unit is really meant to be taught with TI-Graphing Calculators or in a Computer Lab with Microsoft Excel so if a student isn't into the yucky sports stuff, then they can grab onto an engaging technology (Graphing Calculator Instruction are included!)

Depending on when you teach lines of best fit, this fits! It could work as an advanced Algebra 1 project (I love teaching regression in Algebra 1) or a warm-up project for Pre-Calculus. Wherever correlation coefficient belongs in your curriculum -- this can go there!
Using data from the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL students investigate correlations to some of sports most common questions like:

"Do more shots result in more goals?"
"Do hitters or pitchers have more impact on a team's wins?"
"What NFL stat is most strongly correlated with wins?"

and the grand-daddy...

"Can money buy championships?"


Those of you who work in small-markets, maybe a little surprised by the results. The assignments in this project, breakdown like this:

Hmm... could I use this type of math
when I'm doing research for my capstone
project? Oh great question, most definitely!

- In “He Shoots, He Scores!!!” students will construct scatterplots and draw lines of best fit. While using NHL shot and goal data.

- In “Offense or Defense” students will use TI Graphing Calculates to create scatterplots and determine lines of best fit and correlation coefficients using Runs Scored and Runs Allowed MLB data.

- In “Gridiron Challenge” students will look at NFL data to determine which statistics has the strongest correlation with winning.

-- AND FINALLY in “Can Money Buy Championships?” students will look at data from the four major American sports leagues to answer this inquiry question.

EXTENSION: You could encourage students to seek out their own data and figure out a correlation for themselves! You can open it up to the rest of the world of statistics -- poverty vs. education of women, ACT results vs. college GPA -- anything!

It seems around every corner there's a new STEM school popping up and 21st Century Math Projects can help! If this is interesting I've also integrated projects for an Egg Drop, Box Car Derby and Solar Oven. 

Solar Oven -- International STEM Project

Lunch the 21st Century Math Project way

If you are trying to integrate an international flair into your science and math curriculum, this 21st Century Math Project is a great place to start. Students will design, build, test, and present a solar oven design with the objective of heating a hot dog the hottest. This is a hands-on STEM project for hands-on students. This works great when integrated scatterplots, best-fit functions, with energy. There are plenty of great opportunities to extend this learning into the humanities as well! Temperature probes with TI's work great! Any will do.

Name: Solar Oven

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Advanced Algebra, Algebra II or Precalculus skills)

Math Concepts: Scatterplot, Creating, Using and Analyzing Regression Functions, Data Collection

Interdisciplinary Connections: Science, Heat & Energy, Global Studies

Teaching Duration: 4-5 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $5 for a 9 Page PDF (1 project and handouts) 

PDF Version: Solar Oven @ TPT

The Product: Students will use their solar ovens to heat a hot dog and will measure its temperature over time. And eat! 

Whoopdidoo! Like this applies to
your content area! Good grief!

At our school we had a local professor speak to an entire school body. Essentially, his work was developing large scale, efficiency solar cookers that he could then take to some of the poorest communities in Africa. To me that sure sounded like a 21st Century Math Project!

Of course I did not invent the idea of a Solar Oven project, but in most iterations I could find, most of them were science specific. As with a few of my other projects, science is the ideal fit for both mathematical rigor and real world relevancy. The challenge is to build up the mathematics side of these traditionally science activities, identify the core math concepts in play and concentrate on teaching these skills. In terms of Solar Ovens, regression functions, (exponential functions specifically) are at the core when heating or cooling. If you are teaching lines of best fit (or your students have this skill), there’s no reason this can’t be extended to work in your classroom.

An actual authentic application...?
Did I take the wrong bus this morning?

The best, simple, Solar Oven designs I have seen is with a modified pizza box. Fortunately high school kids eat pizza so these contraptions are usually available. There are plenty of possible designs that are one Google away from helping your students on their journey. I would suggest that the design component of your project should take place in a computer lab for the resources.

This is another project that can easily draw in the community. If there are local engineers that want to get out of their cubicle, walk in the sunlight and stuff, it’s a great way to get your students in contact with professionals outside of the school. I’ve been very fortunate with my engineer contacts. They always come with and provide invaluable classroom support. They also like it a lot! Give it a whirl and make the contact and I wouldn’t be surprised if they become an annual fixture!

How might we use this knowledge to
help the global community?

EXTENSION: There are endless possibilities. Creating PSAs. Entering Science Fairs. Building a large scale oven with the help of engineers to send it to a developing country. Comparing and contrasting the results of morning classes and afternoon class results. It’s a matter of how far you want to step.

If you give a man a hot dog cooked with the sun, they’ll eat it, but if you teach a man to cook a hot dog with the sun, it’s a 21st Century Math Projects. In the event of the forthcoming Zombie Apocalypse, you can’t take for granted things like grills, ovens and microwaves. This might be the only means. 

Population Growth: Seven Billion and Counting... -- International STEM Project

Wait until the robots start cloning us...

As the world's population has ballooned in the past three centuries researchers wait for the other pen to drop. Currently sitting at a cool 7 billion (and counting), researchers believe (based on their models) that the world's population will top out at 9.2 billion. In this 21st Century Math Project students will analyze the same data as the experts and make their own predictions. Which model best projects the world in 2050? I guess at the class’s 38th year reunion you can find out.

Name: Seven Billion and Counting…

Suggested Grade Level: 9-12 (Basic Algebra II, Precalculus skills)

Math Concepts: Scatterplot, Creating, Using and Analyzing Regression Functions, Patterns, Evaluating Predictions

Interdisciplinary Connections: Social Studies, Global Studies, Population

Teaching Duration: 3-4 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $5 for a 20 Page PDF (2 assignments, 1 project with answer key) 

PDF Version: Seven Billion and Counting... @ TPT

The Product: After a careful analysis of population data by continent, students will use their chosen mathematical model to predict how the world’s population will breakdown in the year 2050.  

An authentic task? You're teasing me
right? Where's my drill and kill?!

Will it ever end? Most statisticians believe we will taper off our growth. They are expecting a logistic function although to date our population is freakishly exponential. In this 21st Century Math Project, students will investigate population of the different world regions over history. Students will begin by simply trying to observe a pattern, move to lines of best fit and finally have the freedom to choose their own non-linear best fit functions. This dataset yields some interesting conclusions for prediction and discussion especially in regards to the limitations of linear modeling.

Students will use the skills of patterns, constructing pie graphs, regression functions for modeling and using their equations to make predictions. What makes a model strong? Students will explore this question. This lesson is designed to work with a class set of TI graphing calculators and would work with an Advanced Algebra 1 class, Algebra 2 or PreCalculus.

That's like a lot of people, ya feel me?
People should, like, stop making babies
and stuff.

The final project is a challenging, multi-faceted task which needs certain skills to be built. To compensate, two assignments were added which help introduce the topic and skills. Thus a student’s understanding of the mathematics concepts will grow with their familiarity the topic of population.

-- "Seven Billion and Counting" -- using patterns to determine the world in 2050 and constructing pie graphs to represent 1750. 

-- "Predictive Models (the long and short of them)" -- students use linear models for global data for two different intervals (1750-2000 and 1975-2010). Students then are asked to develop their own non-linear regression functions.

Which all leads to the Mama…

This will shape the world for
generations to come. What can we do
to take action now?

-- "The World in 2050" -- students will compare the results of their 4 different results, use them to draw conclusion about modeling in general and will construct a pie graph representing the world in 2050.

I wrote this assignment relatively recently so I have only used it one time, but students were honestly intrigued by the study and the challenge of comparing their models to the experts. Others were interested in the observations that can be made in the population data by continent which certainly can generate some discussion.

EXTENSION: Population is a global issue with serious implications in terms of sustainability, natural resources and poverty. Using their models, students could create PSAs and other Presentations that can be viewed in the community.  

Will this blog go on forever? Will it live in the cloud forever? Are you someone from the year 2341, searching through Google’s cache? Did you find my laptop? If you found my laptop, there’s a really weird short with the battery that cases the screen to flicker every now and again. 21st Century Math Projects might live forever, but one day I may have to start a new company… 22^nd Century Math Projects. 

Superhero Transformations -- Hands-On STEM Project

Mathematical Swagg Power Up!

The first-ever 21st Century Math Project Blog poll winner is now an official 21st Century Math Project. Turn your Geometry, Algebra 2 or Pre-Calculus classroom into Superhero City while teaching the useful skills of tranformations. Specifically focusing on translations and reflections, heroes paired with a specific mathematics function family, have to zap enemies all over the coordinate grid into submission to save their city. Students will use cutouts of functions to turn this into a hands-on math project that will serve many different types of learners and plays into their childhood superhero infatuations!

Name: Superhero Transformations

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Geometry & Pre-Calculus skills)

Math Concepts: Transformations, Translation, Reflection, Families of Functions

Interdisciplinary Connections: Comics, Art

Teaching Duration: 3-5 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $6 for a 25 Page PDF (4 assignments and answer key) 

PDF Version: Superhero Transformations @ TPT (Download the Preview to see everything for FREE)

The Product: Students complete a series of tasks that culminate in taking down the mysterious Big Boss Villain. Can be expanded to creating a Pixton Comic (not provided)!

Hey Kid, put down that printer.

BOOM! POW! WHAMO! If those words remind you of your 7th Period Class, I... think you should find another blog regarding classroom management. If those words remind you of the hours you'd spend trying to hunt down that elusive Magneto action figure this might be perfect for you. If your kids dig comics and comic-book movies. This might be perfect for them! I've noticed a comic book renaissance of sorts in the school hallway especially with the awesomeness of the Avengers. 

One of the things that I do that many would consider unconventional is that before I teach how to manipulate any non-linear functions (square roots, exponentials etc.), I teach families of functions and transformations. I think this breaks down students intimidation of long equations with these different functions in them, it makes them more accessible and helps them understand that in many respects, they work the same. 

Does this mean I won't feel like I want to
disappear from class for a few days?
Are we actually going to do
something challenging?

In this project, I have assembled a dynamic mathematical superhero team where each hero has a different power that behaves like a different function. Heroes with Linear, Quadratic, Exponential, Cubic, Square Root and Absolute Value functions are stars of the show. There are a couple special guest appearances from the villains. 

No hero with a Wolfhead?
I'm slightly put off by the omission.

In creating this project, it was critical to me that it's not just glitz and glamor, but there truly is a bunch of hardcore mathematics at its core. I feel I have created something that authentically teaching translations and reflections and will serve both ends of the classroom. By creating functions that can be cut-out, this will make the tasks hands-on and accessible for all learners. By creating wicked challenging scenarios, the most advanced students will be enriched with the puzzle that the later problems create. By creating colorful, amusing heroes and villains, the most difficult to engage will be grabbed. 

EXTENSION: Perhaps there can be a comic book assignment that emerges that uses solid math jokes. Don't use class time for this. I'm begging you. Maybe a weekend extra credit assignment. :-)

So here it is, the 21st Century Math Project for the peeps. Hopefully you dig. I'll be setting up a little challenge for the blog followers tomorrow to give away a free copy! Keep you eyes open.

Making the Band -- High School Math Project

Math, Math, Baby

After a couple years of teaching systems and linear equations, I knew I needed to add some 21st Century Math Project kick. Fortunately, systems are a topic that lends itself well toward practical application. Students will make choices that will affect the launch of their album. Layered with literacy practice, students will make choices within a budget that will affect the cost and revenue of their album. The project builds on itself. After a day of decisions, the next day those decisions may pay off...it depends on the linear equation.

Name: Making the Band

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra I and Algebra II math skills)

Math Concepts: Creating & Using Linear Equations, Systems of Equations, Multiple Representations

Interdisciplinary Connections: Music, Business

Teaching Duration: 3-5 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $6 for a 12 Page PDF (1 project with 3 components) 

Making the Band @ TPT

The Product: A cost-revenue analysis and determination of a break-even point for a student-created mathematical album where the results can culminate in a class presentation. Performing their song is optional.

This is meant to be a blend of the reality television craze with systems of equations. I've never had a student not engaged in this project. Competition never has been higher. Students attempt to break-even with their record and become profitable in the least amount of time.

Students don't want choice! They want
to do exactly what I tell them to do!

This 21st Century Math Project might work as a Middle or High School math project depending on if you students have experience with modeling linear equations and solving basic systems. Here is the challenge math teachers… student choice and chance is at the fulcrum of this exercise so it is likely that no two students will have the same results. Thus, there is no answer key. The genesis of this project was from my childhood enjoyment from Choose Your Own Adventure Books.

In terms of structure, this assignment will likely be different than anything a student has done before. A teacher will likely need to be very clear with directions and possibly guide students through a hypothetical example before each part of the assignment.

Greeeaaat... another write a song assignment.
Oh wait, you want me to actually do math
and calculate stuff? Okay that might actually
help me on the ACT.

The assignment will start with students coming up with the name of a mathematical song and sketch an album cover (I give this as homework the night before). Based on the awesomeness, of their song name and album, you will give students different start-up costs. Awesome songs cost less to get started. Kind-a-sucky songs cost more.

In the “Financial Document”, students will then make a number of decisions based on descriptions and determine which are monthly and one-time start-up costs and with a little work they will have a linear cost equation.

In “Did They Pay Off”, get the dice ready because chance will play a role. Based on the decisions the day before, there is a revenue benefit but this varies greatly on luck. Wiser decisions will likely lead to higher revenues. Students will use this revenue equation to determine when they will break-even on their project.

This might push me to actually record
my album -- Math Swagg. Aight, that's
actually kinda dope. 

I have included an option “Change of Plans” assignment, because of course things don’t always turn out according to plan. Students will have a random multiplier applied to their slope and will rework their equations to find a new break-even point.

To conclude the project, I have done this differently. I have simply ended it after the assignment was complete and on another occasion I added a presentation component. Student definitely enjoyed presenting their information. If I were to do it again I would have small groups present to each other, nominate a top presenter and then have them present to the whole class. Presenting could also be offered as extra credit.

EXTENSION: Taking this another step could be to encourage your students to actually record the music (Audacity is great and free). Perhaps have a class album.  

21st Century Math Projects can be funky too. Extra funky. Many teachers have students write and perform math songs, and often this might be fun, but not very mathematically rigorous. Why not actually make them do some relevant math too?! 

Cost of Smoking -- STEM-based Health Project

Kick Butts, Teachers! Kick Butts Hard.

Utilize tobacco use in an investigation of number sense, linear functions, and scatterplot in this 21st Century Math Project. Students will find out the startling truth behind the amount of cigarettes a smoker may use in their lifetime, the financial cost of the habit (including inflation), as well as the foretold effect on their health. I’ve never had students more engaged calculating math problems! The results of this project can have a lifelong impact on a learner (I’ve seen it)… the best part is they are discovering this on their own.

Name: Cost of Smoking – STEM-based Health Project

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra 1 skills)

Math Concepts: Patterns, Linear Equations, Percents, Operations and Scatterplot

Interdisciplinary Connections: Health, Personal Finance

Teaching Duration: 3-5 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $6 for a 24 page PDF (1 project with answer key) 

PDF Version: Cost of Smoking @ TPT

The Product: A PSA in which students use data they have calculated in their packet to persuade a target audience (elementary kids, smokers, Latinos, etc.) to stop or avoid smoking. 

How am I supposed to quit smoking,
have you seen my 7th Period?

Kick butts with the 21st Century Math Project that started it all. My parents were smokers. When I got to middle school I realized how much money they were actually spending on those stupid little cigarettes. They’d each burn through a pack a day without blinking. Money was tight, I didn’t understand it. Learning about the impacts on their health made me completely astonished. Why would anyone spend some much money to do this to themselves? I convinced myself my best chance to get them to quit was to not just tell them they were bad for them, surely they knew, but I thought I’d point out how much money they would save and showed them what other things we could use the money for. Eventually, they did decide to quit. Why, I’ll never know.

Now as a sixth-year high school teacher, I can better empathize with things like “stress”, I still was at a loss as to the amount of money people spent on the things. In college, project-based learning was emphasized heavily. I pitched an early idea of this project to a class. Developed an idea and took it with me into my first year. While that draft of this project was rough, I still distinctly remember kids being floored by the numbers. Kids want to show their moms. Perhaps a few decided to avoid smoking. Nobody will ever know.

I have used this project in pretty much every class. I can see it being done as a 6^th grade enrichment project. I have used it in the first week of Pre-Calculus to assess skills and encourage a take action approach to mathematics. Chances are EVERY student you have, knows someone who smokes. Who knows what affect this project may have on them.

What about weed?

I set up the project to up for a student to calculate data for two states. When I do it, every student does our state, Ohio. This way, when I model difficult problems, we can all work on a problem that is assigned. In many cases, students will do the same problem type twice, increasing repetition and practice. It will also allow students to do a side-by-side comparison. Why are tobacco prices in Virginia so much cheaper than in Massachusetts? This leads to some impromptu discussion.

Every year a student stands to ask about data from other countries. I’d be happy to do it, but it’s difficult to pin down these numbers. That and the prices around the world are also typically much LOWER than in the United States. It’s just something I’ve avoided. I don’t want students to think they should go buy cigarettes from Mexico instead of not smoking at all! 21st Century Math Project Mind Control! A student will also likely ask about marijuana. Sometimes I bring up Starbucks and other daily wasteful purchases. No offense Starbuckers.

How might our class leverage this
information to help the global community?

While it certainly is optional, I have always had interesting PSAs for this project. I have the students choose a specific target audience. Either an age group, ethnic group, etc. And it needs to be relevant to the state that they have chosen. It’s a great opportunity for students to use mathematics to take action. Often I have used this project as a before Winter Break thing so students could create their PSAs over break.

EXTENSION: The wonderful thing about asking your students to create PSAs is that in many cases this is web-based and (depending on your school district, image rights, etc) you may be able to share these PSA with the community. Nonetheless perhaps there will be some bold students to speak out against tobacco!

Mathematical Rigor, Real World Relevancy, and 21st Century Swagg. The three keys to math project success!