Business Valuation for Sharks -- Shark Tank Inspired Financial Literacy Project

Bringing the Entrepreneurial Spirit to your Classroom!

I might only watch one TV show. So what? It's the coolest show on the planet -- Shark Tank! This 21st Century Math Project takes students on an entrepreneurial journey that will help them understand some of the basics of small business finance.

It was also the landslide winner in next 21st Century Math Project Poll!

Name: Business Valuation for Sharks

Suggested Grade Level: 6-12

Math Concepts: Proportion, Percent and Data Analysis

Interdisciplinary Connections: Business, Financial Literacy, Accounting, Finance

Teaching Duration: 5-7 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $6 for a 22 Page PDF (3 assignment and answer keys) 

PDF Version: Business Valuation for Sharks @ TPT

The Product:  Students will create a small business plan or invention that you will pitch to a panel of Sharks in hopes that you get an investment (your grade depends on it!) They will be putting their knowledge of

Can I just show Shark Tank and pass
out on my desk? Answer = Probably Not

equity, revenue projections and valuation to the test all built around their own creation.

Although I've never taken a business or finance class, I think the last two years of watching Shark Tank have taught me more than I could have learned in a classroom. Watching the show has shown me what top executives find important in business, what types of numbers they are interested in and which types of products garner more interest from them.

While it would be impossible to cover all of these skill in a single math project, I've laid the foundation for students to grab onto some key financial terms and I've applied authentic math at each turn. Proportions, Percents and Analyzing Data Trends jump into the deep waters with this math project inspired by the popular TV show Shark Tank. Students learn some basic fundamentals of owning their own business while they learn foundational finance terms such as equity, value, EBIT and multiplier.

Hey! Don't talk bad about the Common
Core. I'm just starting to figure it out.

Bring the creativity into the math classroom! Bring the entrepreneurs. Educators don't believe our students have enough opportunities to be creative. Business leaders complain young workers aren't creative. You can't turn on the internet without seeing a story about another high school dropout who started a business and made 19 bajillion dollars. How are we supposed to work on creative? Hmmm... how about... let them be creative.

While the Common Core standards are all well and good (and this is mapped to them!), the words Common and Core don't quite lend themselves well to creativity.

In all it is four different assignments --

-- “Equity Share”. Students will compute proportions to determine equity.

-- “Valuation Station”. Students will be introduced to a basic accounting formula EBIT which is one method

You mean... I might actually learn
something that I would in college?

to compute a company’s valuation. Students will be introduced to the concept of a multiplier and will calculate valuations.

-- “Revenue Forecast”.  Students will analyze data to look for trends and project future income. They will
combine this skill with the EBIT skill from the previous activity and will analyze multipliers of related companies to estimate a multiplier for their own.

-- “Swimming with the Sharks”. Students will create a small business plan or invention that you will pitch to a panel of Sharks in hopes that you get an investment (your grade depends on it!) They will be putting their knowledge of equity, revenue projections and valuation to the test all built around their own creation.

EXTENSIONS:
Let a student run with a good idea. Encourage their creativity!

CSI Pre-Algebra is Now Live!

Coming to an Electronic Teacher Resource
Store Near You!

CSI: Pre-Algebra has arrived. I've been asked by a number of lower grades teacher about making something for them. It is nearly ready to go so be prepared to defend the world against the world conquering device! So here it is!

Each unit can be purchased separately or you could save some cash and buy the whole eBook! 

For those unfamilar with my CSI puzzles, I take a unit of math material, select a different world region and create a fictional crime spree with clues (aligned to the Common Core, hurray!)

HERE IT IS: The CSI Pre-Algebra eBook. 

You can now get the Interactive & Customizable Version of CSI Pre-Algebra @ NextLesson.org

When it is all together, here's what you will find.

Unit 1: Order of Operations & Expressions (South America) 
Unit 2: Factors, Primes & Multiples (Middle East) 
Unit 3: Equations & Inequalities (Europe)
Unit 4: Decimals (Oceania)
Unit 5: Exponents, Roots & Scientific Notation (East Asia)
Unit 6: Fractions (Central America)
Unit 7: Ratio, Proportion & Percent (Africa)
Unit 8: Coordinate Plane (Antarctica)
Unit 9: Data Analysis & Probability (North America)

Design a Zoo -- Integrated Geometry Area & Perimeter Project

While your Justin Beiber lovers may not be willing to admit it... they like doing assignments with ostriches on them. It's just a fact. In this 21st Century Math Project, students will plan and accommodate animals from all around the world. Turn your 7th period into a zoo.

Studies show increased engagement in math when ostriches are involved.

Name: Design a Zoo

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Geometry skills)

Math Concepts: Area, Perimeter, Irregular Figures, Apothems, Scale, Basic Algebra Skills

Interdisciplinary Connections: Design Planning, Zoo Stuff, Architecture.

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

Cost: $8 for a 27 Page PDF (1 project, 2 assignment and answer keys) 

PDF Version: Design a Zoo @ TPT

The Product: Students use a budget to purchase animals and architecture with the goal of building the zoo that can create the most revenue. 

I have well-fed pet meerkats in
my basement

Not going to lie. I indulged myself on this project. My 3 year old son loves going to the zoo. My 1 year old daughter would love going to the zoo if she realized she were at the zoo. But the secret is Mommy and Daddy love going to the zoo. Luckily we live next to like the 2nd best zoo in America -- the Columbus Zoo. 

At our zoo, the exhibits are so wonderfully accommodating for the animals. Others we have been to feel like the animals are packed in so tight they are sitting on my lap. While some may prefer it, I'd like my zoo animals to be able to turn around. Naturally the idea of area and perimeter fit perfectly with this idea. Sprinkle a little Zoo Swagg and hopefully this is a project that middle schoolers and high schoolers alike will enjoy.

Please tell me that assignment with the
buffalo on it has some geometry in it.
Answer: OODLES AND OODLES!

I choose to focus on unique shapes, regular polygons with apothems and irregular figures, students determine which exhibits fit which animals needs. Of course with irregular figures their will be needs for the practice with rectangles and circles, but in my experience these are done to death.

The assignments break down like this:

- In “Animal Wrangling” students will use area and perimeter skills to meet the different needs of different animals.

- In “Cage Match” students will determine the size of potential exhibits that which includes a basic shapes, regular polygons with apothems, and irregular figures. Which animal best fits in each exhibit? They will calculate and figure it out!

- In “Design a Zoo” students will dive in completely where they will work with a budget of $2,000,000 to select animals and build appropriate exhibits. A little algebra required.

- In "Zoo: Year 1" students will calculate how their choices led to profit. Tally up the student who has the most cash on hand to figure out a winner!

EXTENSION: Expanding the scale of the property can allow students to go crazy and build massive zoos. They will be somewhat limited in this assignment with space (intentionally so), but they may enjoy going farther with it! If you have an old copy of the PC game Zoo Tycoon they might enjoy it!

Lions, Tigers, Bears and 21st Century Math Projects. Math it up. Keep it real. Peace!

Nelson Mandela -- Systems of Equations Person Puzzle

Back with more, we have the next 21st Century Math Project Algebra 1 puzzle the one and only, freedom fighter -- Nelson Mandela! 

Eliminate Systems... while learning about eliminating systems!

Name: Person Puzzle -- Nelson Mandela

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra, Prealgebra skills)

Teaching Duration: 10-30 minutes

Cost: $0.75 for a 2 Page PDF (1 assignments and answer key) 

Person Puzzle - Nelson Mandela @ TPT

Although seen by some as a controversial figure, nobody can deny the life story and work of one, Nelson Mandela. A beloved figure by many, Mandela is an individual that has certainly changed the world and now... he's in a Person Puzzle!!!

Hello, I'm a certified ninja
apartheid destroyer! And now
I'm a Person Puzzle. Learn about me

And do some systems of equations practice! It would work great in a middle school or high school class!

Person Puzzles -- Mother Teresa

Adding to the already prolific (not really) collection of 21st Century Math Project Person Puzzles, we have the greatest mother ever... Mother Teresa! 

Best Mother Ever? Goose v. Nature v. Teresa... You decide!

Name: Person Puzzle -- Mother Teresa -- Factoring

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra skills)

Teaching Duration: 10-30 minutes

Cost: $0.75 for a 2 Page PDF (1 assignments and answer key) 

Person Puzzle - Mother Teresa @ TPT

Lets face it, many people think Mother Teresa is from Asia. While she earned her India citizenship, her life was far more interesting. If you asked kids who she was some may say "she was nice". Although we remember her and her work, she passed away in 1997 -- the same year my Freshmen were born. Yes you are old. 

Mother Teresa is a figure far more deserving as opposed to always being the token woman entry into the most important person ever debate in high school! Help your students imagine leaving the United States for another country to go serve sick and poor people in another country, never asking for any credit, and doing it for decades! 

I'm Mother Teresa, I never wanted any
credit or recognition and I'm honestly
uncomfortable being the subject
of a person puzzle. 

Help preserve the legacy of Mother Teresa and get down with some mathematical swagg. Mother Teresa swagg. Anyone who forever Googles "Mother Teresa swagg" will now hopefully find my website.

Wiffleball -- Sports-Based Statistics Project

Take your class out to the ball game

Theoretical and Experimental Probability gets a facelift in this interactive game-based 21st Century Math Project. Tired of flipping coins and spinning spinners? Students play the role of team managers and with only player statistics they must build a team capable of winning the championship. 

Name: Wiffleball

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Pre-Algebra, Statistics skills)

Math Concepts: Theoretical vs. Experimental Probability, Fractions, Data Collection

Interdisciplinary Connections: Sports, Games, Awesome Fun Stuff

Teaching Duration: 2-3 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $5 for a 11 Page PDF (1 project, 2 assignments and all game essentials) 

PDF Version: Wiffleball @ TPT

The Product: Students build their teams to compete for a championship. Bracket style tourney optional and included!

Game on, homie.

Combine together three juggernaut hobbies into one colossal  21st Century Math Project. Sports. Gaming. Mathematical Swagg. While there are plenty of class activities to teach the difference between theoretical versus experimental probability, I had to lob in my own crazy attempt.

In this 21st Century Math Project students will plays a series of Wiffleball games (6 players on a team and 4 inning games to keep things shorter) where they will keep track of statistics using a baseball/softball inspired scorebook and after the game crunch the number to see if their players performed up to their theoretical expectations. How does experimental probability match up? Students will find out together.

Did someone say drunk?... Hey, you
wanna use my spinners?!

In 7^th Grade, my math teacher (he may have been drunk or a genius) pulled out Strat-O-Matic baseball, a card game with every MLB team, a 60 sided die and told us to go at it. Of course we loved it. While I was 12 years old, I certainly do not remember doing any actual math. The much older version of me says, what a missed opportunity! Why can’t we do both?

In my trial runs with this project (during student lunches since this content hasn’t quite come up), students keep coming back for more. Nothing like having to kick your students out of your room because they are doing too much math! Now, I discovered keeping the scorebook was difficult at first. If you have any experience with baseball or softball this will probably be an easy thing to teach. I have simplified the game to have three outcomes. Homeruns, singles and outs.

EXTENSION: Perhaps a few students want to get together to create a league and play a season worth of games during lunch! It can happen.

Sometimes 21st Century Math Projects can get a little too intense. Students will get emotional. Some might cry. It’s all part of the design. But seriously make sure students don’t cry.  

Oscar Winner -- Inquiry Project

And the winner of greatest blog visitor is...

Glitz, glamor and a 21st Century Math Project. These three things go together like peas, carrots and bubble yum. Utilize twenty years of Oscar winners (from 1990-2010) as a data set to guide your students through creating box and whisker plots, histograms, and exploring mean, median, and mode.

Name: Oscar Winner Inquiry Project

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Basic statistics skills)

Math Concepts: Box and Whisker Plots, Histogram, Mean, Median & Mode and Stem and Leaf Plots

Interdisciplinary Connections: Film, Entertainment, Acting

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

Cost: $6 for a 13 Page PDF (1 inquiry project, 2 assignments with answer key) 

Interactive Version: Oscar Winner Math Project @ NextLesson.org

PDF Version: Oscar Winner @ TPT

The Product: An inquiry project asking students the question “Does the age of the award winning star in a film relate to the overall gross of the movie?”

They sure don't make 'em like Frank
Capra made 'em

Is an actor or actress more likely to win the Best Actor/Actress nod when they are older? What about younger? What is the range? Are actors in R rated movies more likely to win the Oscar? Students will explore these questions and more in this 21st Century Math Project.  Depending on your curriculum, this works well as a middle school math project and I have also used it for remediation at the high school level and as preparation for the high school state test. One thing is for sure, students will always have to read graphs so this really could serve as a refresher at all levels.

Although most middle and high school kids do not gravitate toward Academy Award Winning Performance, but instead to teen erotica vampirey – guy dress up like a girl is lolOMG!ZZ type of movies, I have found students are still into it. There are enough famous actors, actresses and movies that there’s still strong interest in the assignment.

Who is Julia Roberts? Was she that
substitute we had yesterday

EXTENSION: Well unfortunately, this 21st Century Math Project relies more on swagg than global relevancy. Fortunately the mathematical rigor is still there. So I’m ashamed to admit, there’s not a meaty extension that comes to mind. Perhaps you could suggest a student watch a film that you believe had an exceptionally great performance so they can appreciate great acting.

In a 21st Century Math Projects the mathematical rigor has to be there, but there is a scale between global competency and awesome swagg coolness. Typically I try to lean to global competency, but eh, you can’t win them all. 

Pixton – Cool Free Web-based Software

Cartooning is made easy and accessible for all students with this free web-based software. Pixton is a free web-based software that allows students to create comic strips. Pre-Made characters are built as “puppets” so students are free to pose them however they would like. There are a built-in pre-made poses for anyone trying to get that perfect karate kick. Students are able to make comic books for free, but if additional features are desired pay options do exist. 

Howdy Partner

Students have never been more engrossed in a web-based software than when we used this one. The customization and freedom of expression worked great for my students. That said on my end there were a couple of challenges. Students can only make 6 panels so if their story extended, they had to make a “second” comic strip. For assessment, sending links does not work. What we decided to do was have students pull up their comics on a computer, have each comic strip on a different tab and we did a gallery walk of sorts. This worked well enough.

With Customizable Swimwear

How does this fit into a math classroom? Again very very carefully. This is the type of project that without solid structure on the teacher’s part can be on the fast track to learn-nothing-about-math-ville. In other words, the math project plague. I’ve been there. I’ve had students look up their favorite car on the computer to find the price and features. I know how this can become a dreadful waste of time without solid structure. At times, I like students to conclude a math project with some sort of analysis presentation whether it be a PSA or a jury trial. This can just as easily be used for those conclusions. How I use class time with this is the careful issue. It is certainly something I’m more likely to ask students to do at home.

I have used this software in my technology class. I asked students to imagine the world in 2030 and included 10 science-based inventions that are in development today. I asked students to construct a narrative built around a character trying to accomplish a goal. Basic story structure. I had some really awesome projects that exceeded my expectations. If you are also teaching English, Social Studies, Science, World Language, etc. this might be a really cool resource for you.

Would I use this in a math class? There are only a few topics I would even consider it (such as translating algebraic and verbal expressions). Otherwise it might serve best in a role play where someone is teaching someone else a math concept. I don’t feel a rock solid foundation that connects to a math concept, so I’d be extremely hesitant. Nonetheless, it’s super duper fun and someone in your building may love it!

Box Car Derby -- STEM Project

I feel the need, the need for practical equation solving

Hands-on math takes center stage in this 21st Century Math Project. Implementing STEM style project-based learning is the focus in this middle and high school math project. Along with designing, building and constructing a cardboard car students will use algebra skills to solve basic physics problems, engage in reflective writing and use data to support their decisions.

Name: Box Car Derby
Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra I math skills)
Math Concepts: Manipulating & Calculating with Basic Physics Equations, Measurement
Interdisciplinary Connections: Science & Engineering
Teaching Duration: 3-5 Days (can be modified)
Cost: $5 for a 12 Page PDF (1 project and essentials, 1 assignment with answer key)
PDF Version: Box Car Derby @ TPT

The Product: A Box Car Derby Competition! With optional reflective presentation of results and Design Process.

What's that noise?

Transform an ordinary Pop-Tart box into a smooth riding street racer! Students will get uber-enaged in this 21st Century Math Project in their attempt to be fastest racer. This serves as Middle or High School math project and can be a great collaboration between math and science.

The first time I used this project was in my 9th Grade Algebra 1 Class in a collaboration with the Physical Science teacher. Students submitted designs, “purchased” items for our store with their budget, built and test to perfection. It’s safe to say, this project was a huge success. The most difficult aspect was getting a strong wheel and axle combination. By far the best combo that worked were straight straws (with no bendy neck) and tealight candles. You can get a billion of them for $10 at Amazon.

Playing with Fruit Loops boxes.
Is that in the Common Core?

While there is not precise Common Core standard for Fruit Loops boxes, these are a few high school standards that fit this project:

Algebra:
--Seeing Structure in Expressions
• Interpret the structure of expressions
-- Reasoning with Equations and Inequalities
• Understand solving equations as a process of reasoning and explain the reasoning
• Solve equations and inequalities in one variable
• Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations.
Statistics:
-- Interpreting Categorical and Quantitative Data
• Summarize, represent, and interpret data of two categorical and quantitative variables
-- Making Inferences and Justifying Conclusions
• Make inferences and justify conclusions from sample surveys, experiments and observational studies

Can I take my Ratchet-Mobile home with me?

Let the games begin! After the Box Car Derby, it is in the teacher’s discretion to turn it into a Demolition Derby. While it sounds appeal, you’re soft (and hard) children will likely want to keep their car after their significant bonding period. It’s like a birth.

EXTENSION: While these cars are small enough to carry around, making a person-sized derby car sure sounds like a fun idea. Probably for extra credit 

21st Century Math Projects on the fast track to practical equation solving! If during the course of reading this blog you have went to your cupboard to see if you have a nearly empty Pop-Tart box, raise your hands.

OpenClipart.com -- Cool Website Spotlight

Need awesome, cool, free clipart that makes you say boomdiggy? Want to tweak it for your own liking for your own high school math project? Want to put your school’s logo on every picture you ever put on an assignment? If you read the blog on Inkscape, downloaded it and learned a little bit about node editing, you are totally ready for the next step -- Openclipart.org. Even if you aren’t ready to edit clipart, you can still get cool free clipart!

Free. Check. Awesome. Check. Boomdiggy. Check

Openclipart.org, is an active community where new, free clipart is added daily. For a number of projects, I have used this clipart. Of course, I have to put my own unique spin on it, but it certainly gives a solid base. For instance if a 21^st Century Math Project needs me to draw a bonobo, I can find the best looking monkey image on the site and can use Inkscape to tweak it to make it look like my perfect swaggalicious bonobo. At least I didn’t have to draw a bonobo from scratch! 

Please stay tuned for the next bonobo focused 21^st Century Math Project in development. Likely to be released in 2031. If you missed the Inkscape blog piece, check that out here: BOOMDIGGY

I might be a chimpanzee holding a wrench, but soon 
I'll look like a bonobo sans wrench.

It’s silly, but adding relevant clipart, using different text AND making a piece of paper look cooler does affect the perception of the assignment. This applies for children and adults. Now don’t get me wrong, if you add a piece of clipart, but don’t understand how to make the text fit around it (Wrap Text: Square with Justified text are my favorite options in Word).

Would you like a little more help with Inkscape? Let me know in the comments and I can get super nerdy-specific with screenshots that can help you get started making your own clipart! 

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?! 

Inkscape -- Cool Software Spotlight

Drawing for the artistically skill-less

Can you not color inside the lines? Does pottery melt in your fingertips? Does the word watercolor make your skin crawl? If you answer yes to any of these questions you are just like Mr. 21st Century Math Projects. The Inkscape is for you and may help you create your next high school math project! Well maybe not, but… maybe. If you have ever toyed with a Photoshop program, Inkscape may be intuitive enough for you to pick up. It’s a free open-source software that creates vector art.

As far as I understand it, there are two main image types: rasters and vectors. Most people have experience drawing with rasters. This is like doodling on a digital picture of your ex-boyfriend's face. “Cutting” you out of a picture and putting you in front of the Grand Canyon although you’ve never been there. The major difference is that when you “stretch” raster images the quality of the picture will deteriorate and look blurry mess. Vector art (mathematics!) is created with lines, shapes and data so when you stretch it, everything is proportionally increased. This allows you to make things as big or as small as you like!

Creating a logo, no problem. You draw it once and make it as large or small you like.

Blast off!

So how does this help with 21^st Century Math Projects? Pretty much everything in my projects I draw. From the silly faces to application problems to graphs is done on Inkscape. You don’t need to be a professional artist, but you will need to devote some time to learning how to get around the software (although anything that you’ll likely need is pretty easy to do). There are a fair amount of shortcut tricks using some previously created free vector images that can save you some time such as www.openclipart.org which I will share on the blog later.

Want to become Inkscape buddies? Holler in the comments. If you want some tips or images, let me know. 

Wolfram Alpha -- Cool Website Spotlight

There's no better example of a  21st Century Math Project than an awesome site, the mathematically famous Wolfram Alpha. Yes, sure Wolfram Alpha will do your class’s homework for them, but the reality is that that only emphasizes the need for higher order thinking. Computers can solve linear equations, but as of today they still struggle with word problem and application. One day. One day.

Until then the human brain has value!

On its way to growing a real brain!

Well okay, not really. When I decide to create a new middle or high school project, Wolfram Alpha is one of my first stops. In particular when I’m attempting to use global data, I’m able to compare countries very quickly. This is particularly helpful when trying to find interesting mathematical problems and it turns into my own personal inquiry project. For instance if I’m trying to build an assign around GDP and exponential functions, if I choose two countries that do not intersect, it makes for a less mathematically interesting exercise. Of course using one problem built around this case, is worthwhile, but if I built the entire assignment where nothing intersects, it’s weird and useless.

Using Wolfram Alpha in cooperation with one of many Online Regression calculators helps rounds ideas into more precise problems.

There is a pay subscription that would make using this tool infinitely more useful, but I have yet to use it. For anyone with a familiar with vector graphics (like the open source Inkscape; more on this in another post) there is a way to get vector exports of graphs on Wolfram Alpha. In order to make it more usuable in an assignment, you may need to tweak the graphic so using a vector program works well.

Nonetheless, Wolfram Alpha is super duper at helping with answer keys!

If you aren’t using Wolfram Alpha, check it out! 

Area Dissection Art -- Integrated Math Project

Robots invade your Math Project!!!

Here is a great, fun opportunity to hone middle and high school area skills through dissection problems. Area dissection involves more critical thinking skills than a typical area problem, especially when you make them complex. Art is a natural extension of this and it makes it super fun. 

Name: Area Dissection Art

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Primarily Geometry math skills, but project can be modified for different levels)

Math Concepts: Solving Area for Different Shapes, Measurement & Basic Operations

Interdisciplinary Connections: Visual Art

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

Cost: $5 for a 10 Page PDF (3 assignments, 1 project and Answer Key) 

PDF Version: Area Dissection Art @ TPT

The Product: A art collage constructed out of geometric shapes covering a total area of approximate 100 cm²

Hey I have this really cool, new idea
where I have students trace cans...
they're different sizes... and that's about it.

This 21st Century Math Project might find its way into a Middle or High School classroom depending on the skills and abilities of your young people. Of course I did not invent the idea of a geometric art project, but I built a set of lessons around a more mathematically rigorous topic of area dissection. I found that these questions often snuck onto state tests, but is rarely taught.

If you Google search for Area Dissection assignment, the pickings are slim. I found that my students often needed more practice with are problems in high school, but I can wrap my head around solve A=lw with a high schooler so I built everything around area dissection to increase the rigor. Same practice, more thinking. If you are interested in spending 2 weeks teaching area dissection, this unit is a great starting place for you. 

Your students are drawing zombies.
Is there a zombie indicator in the
common core?

Included alongside the project for the Art Project there are a series of increasingly challenging area dissection problems. From simple two shape dissections, to artistic dissection that I have drawn, including one students actually have to measure to find lengths (another thing that my students need a lot of practice with). These assignments hammer home the math skills essential for the project and can be used as standalone activities.

While you’ll find many of the common core standards focused on at the 6-8 grade level, this is still a skill I have seen frequently on high school standardized test. Solving for area is also certainly a skill that is seen on the ACT and SAT in more complex forms.

Mathematics >> Grade 7 >> Geometry

·        Draw construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them.

·         Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

·         Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle.

Do you mean, I'm allowed to be creative?

·         Know the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle and use them to solve problems; give an informal derivation of the relationship between the circumference and area of a circle.

High School Geometry >> Modeling

• Apply geometric methods to solve design problems

With this project, creativity will shine through and it will be something your students really enjoy. I generally award a prize for the student that can be the closest to 100 cm², which is quite a challenge when requiring them to use circles.

EXTENSION: What more can you do with this project? Perhaps you partner up with a teacher in another district or country and arrange an art exchange. If you both use the same assignment, comparing and contrasting the art can be worthwhile.  

So yes, 21st Century Math Projects can get artsy!