Real World Math: Engaging Students through Global Issues

Welcome!
Real World Math: Engaging Students
through Global Issues

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Copyright © 2010, Facing the Future

Dave Wilton
• Assistant Outreach Director
• dave@facingthefuture.org
• 206-264-1503


About Facing the Future
 Seattle-based nonprofit
founded in 1995
 Interdisciplinary global
issues and sustainability
curriculum for K-12
 Over 1.5 million students
reached annually
 All 50 U.S. states and over
100 countries
 Professional development
and consulting
www.facingthefuture.org


Using Math & Real World Data
to Develop Global Competence
Globally competent students must have the
knowledge and skills to:
 Investigate the World  I’m Curious
 Weigh Perspectives  I Have an Opinion
 Communicate Ideas  I Want to Share It
 Take Action  I Want to Be Involved
 Apply Interdisciplinary  I Want Bring My Talents
& Disciplinary Expertise to Bear

~ Anthony Jackson,
Asia Society VP of Education


“When Will I Ever Use This?”
Teachers requested:
 Engaging „hook‟ activities
 Un-manipulated, real world data
 Purposeful mathematics skill
development
 Acquisition of content knowledge
using meaningful issues


Global Issues (Algebra + Geometry)
= Real World Math
 Teacher‟s Guide & Student
Workbook
 15 NCTM aligned lessons
 Students use 21st-century skills
Critical thinking
Collaboration
Global perspective
 Multiple points of implementation:
Hook activities at start of a unit
Reinforcement of learned concepts
Assessment of learning
Individual, small group, whole class


Searchable Database of
State Education Standards


Aligned with Popular
U.S. Math Textbooks


15 Engaging Lessons
1. Number Patterns: Waste & 9. Solving Inequalities: Carbon
Recycling Emissions
2. Introduction to Algebra: 10. Spatial Thinking: Solar Power
Poverty & Microcredit 11. Area & Transformations:
3. Modeling Integers: Wildlife Habitats
Population Growth 12. Surface Area & Volume:
4. Solving Algebraic Equations: Sustainable Design
Food Choices 13. Linear Functions: Systems &
5. Data & Graphs: Youth Global Education
Conflict 14. Midpoint & Distance Formulas:
6. Number Theory: Resource Distribution
Consumption Choices 15. Data Analysis: Quality of Life
7. Rational Numbers: Financial
Decisions
8. Proportion, Percent, &
Probability: Global Health


Lesson 1
Number Patterns: Waste & Recycling

Critical Thinking Questions:
 What are historic and current recycling trends in the US?
 What are the impacts of waste disposal?
 What are ways to reduce impacts of US produced waste?


Lesson 1

Objectives:
 Create expressions containing variables that represent
real world patterns
 Explore patterns of US disposal and recycling
 Use tables and graphs to organize data
 Identify number patterns


Lesson 1

Introductory Activity:
In small groups, answer these
questions about the items on
the next slide:
 Where does it go after it’s used?
 Can it be reused? If so, how?


Lesson 1

Introductory Activity:
In small groups, answer these
questions about the items on
the next slide:
 Where does it go after it’s used?
 Can it be reused? If so, how?
Questions for the whole group:
 Is it OK for all these to be landfilled?
 How many plastic bottles do you use in a day?
 How many are used in the U.S. in 5 minutes?
2 million

Waste Not, Want Not

2. How many plastic bottles are used in 1 day
24 mil. bottles per hour x 24 hours = 576 mil. bottles
3. If 1/3 are recycled daily, how many are not?
2/3 x 576 = 384 mil. bottles OR 576 – (1/3 x 576)= 384 mil. bottles
4. 2 consequences of NOT recycling plastic bottles?
5. Create an equation to solve for number of bottles recycled
for any number of hours where B=Bottles & H=Hours
B = H x 24 mil. bottles


Waste Not, Want Not

6. Organize this data 5.5
into a line graph 4.6
7. Predict the number
of pounds per day
the average person
will discard in 2020
approx. 4.6 to 5.5 lbs


Waste Not, Want Not
8. All materials except plastics and
food scraps make up 76% of
our waste stream.
The % of plastics is the same
as the % of food scraps.
What % of our waste stream is
plastics?
(100% - 76%) / 2 = 12%
9. Recycling 4,050 20 oz. bottles
saves 1 cubic yard of landfill
space.
How many bottles need to be
recycled to save 50 cubic yards
of landfill space?
4,050 x 50 = 202,500

Waste Not, Want Not
Discussion Questions
Is it important to recycle as much as we can?
What are other ways to reduce the amount of waste we
produce?
Where is the closest landfill to your house? What factors
influence their location? Would you want one near you?
Will the amount of waste generated per person in the U.S.
continue to increase?
What kinds of materials are recyclable in your community?
What are barriers to recycling and ways to overcome them?


Student Readings
1 page reading per
lesson
Connects a global
issue to its impacts
and possible
student actions
Referenced


Additional Resources

Partial Zoom

Images retrieved from www.chrisjordan.com

www.chrisjordan.com

Iceberg Model
For understanding root causes and
leverage points of global issues


Additional Free Resources
 Interdisciplinary
 10 lessons
 Correlated with state and
national science and
social studies standards
 Explores the materials
economy and its 5 steps:
Extraction
Production
Distribution
Consumption
Disposal

Unit Overview


Lesson 11
Area & Transformations: Wildlife Habitat

Critical Thinking Questions:
 What are ways to conserve and protect endangered
species?
 How is environmental protection linked to the protection of
our livelihoods

Lesson 11

Objectives:
 Use formulas to find the area of polygons
 Transform figures on a coordinate plane
 Analyze ways in which habitat size and location might
affect a species
 Discuss ways to ensure species survival


Lesson 11

Write one unique thing you are
able to do? (This should be something
that you are proud of and that not many
people are able to do.)

What would the world be like if no
one had these skills?


Home Sweet Habitat
Community Learning
Center East
Catalyst for a school-
wide habitat project
Area & transformations
Perimeter of planting
area, area for weed cloth,
volume for mulch
Language Arts link:
research & writing on
native plants & habitats

Home Sweet Habitat
Community connections:
native plant nursery owner,
National Wildlife Steward,
Florida Native Plant Society
Showcase: tours for the
public, PPTs, local publicity

“It wasn’t an add on, but just a replacement
of less effective materials.”

Staying Connected

 Visit www.facingthefuture.org
 Sign up for FTF e-newsletter
 Be a Peer Educator
 Provide feedback via survey
 Contact FTF:
dave@facingthefuture.org


“We must teach our students that
they can be architects of the future,
rather than its victims.”
~ Buckminster Fuller, Architect and Philosopher

Real World Math: Engaging Students through Global Issues

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