The Curriculum Overview describes the components of a project and guides you
in thinking about and using them. Each project provides ideas for integrating
the Secondary Math & Science Curriculum software and Apple technologies, helping your students
make new connections and gain new insights.
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Rainforests Around the World
Tropical rainforests are among the most diverse ecosystems on earth, but they are also
rapidly disappearing. The loss of rainforests disrupts the cultures of those who live
in them, affects the world's climate, and deprives us of a rich source of plant compounds
with medicinal value. In this project, students solve a scientific mystery set in a virtual
Indonesian rainforest. They then research the different rainforest regions of Africa,
Asia, and Central and South America using an electronic encyclopedia and the Internet.
Nature's Web
No living thing exists independently of other living things. Every individual organism
participates in a vast web of interdependencies, within which organisms provide for each
others needs. In this project, students play the role of scientists investigating a
rainforest ecosystem. They then use what they've learned to study a local ecosystem
directly. Students complete the project by using the non-linear structure of the Web
to create an ecosystem model that shows the interconnections among the system's component
species.
Human Body Systems
The human body is an extremely complex living system. We try to make sense of its complexity
by dividing it up into separate organ systems, each with its particular structure and
function. But in reality, these systems are inextricably connected. In this project,
students learn about seven of the body's organ systems and the needs of an individual
cell. They then integrate these areas of knowledge by researching how each contributes
to the overall functioning of the body.
Family Matters
The periodic table encapsulates a great deal of information about the chemical elements
and their properties. When a student understands the basis of its construction, the table
can be a powerful tool in every area of chemical investigation, allowing prediction and
explanation of chemical behaviors. Students learn about the electron configurations of
the elements and how atomic number affects chemical properties and results in regular
trends within the periodic table. Teams are assigned a group of representative elements
to investigate. After thoroughly investigating the properties of the elements in its group,
each team prepares and then presents a multimedia slideshow about its group.
Chemistry Challenge
Chemistry modeling software offers a way to have "hands-on" learning without the mess or
hazard of laboratory work. One of its advantages is that it allows students to easily "see
what will happen" when they mix two compounds, heat up a substance, or change the pressure
in a container. Students are challenged to create simulations of chemical processes that
are set up as predict-what-will-happen problems for others to solve. By taking on the
educator's role in this way, students are pushed to master the subject matter of chemistry.
LAUNCH!
Studying Projectile Motion
Many of the principles that describe the motion of falling and launched
objects are not intuitively obvious. These principles, which include
the independence of the vertical and horizontal components of motion
and the constancy of acceleration due to gravity, can be demonstrated
with physical objects. But physics simulation software enables students
to explore the physics of motion in a way that can greatly enhance the
learning process. Students use computer simulations to explore free
fall and the motion of vertically-launched and horizontally-launched
objects. They then use their new knowledge to determine the best angle
at which to launch a projectile for maximum horizontal range.
Periodic
Adventures in Simple Harmonic Motion
Simple harmonic motion can be seen in a wide range of phenomena, from
ocean waves to swinging pendulums to the motion of Ferris wheels to
the rising and setting of the sun. In this project, students investigate
the wave forms created by simple harmonic motion using animations in
Geometry Inventor, simulations in Interactive Physics, and activities
on the Internet and in Starry Night Backyard.
Deconstructing Problems in Algebra
Life is full of challenging problems: social, scientific, logistical, and mathematical,
to name a few. Some of the strategies for solving problems (such as breaking the problem
down into its component parts) are useful in any discipline. Real-world problems are often
so complex that they require teams of people, each solving a small portion of the larger
problem, to get the job done. Students explore problems in Algebra Animator and Work It
Out to develop and practice strategies for solving complex, multi-step problems in a
systematic fashion. They then use all their strategies to develop an original, complex
problem for other students to solve.
Explorations in Geometry
Students explore geometric concepts and relationships through interactive simulations and
activities in Geometry Inventor. Students work with the activities and evaluate various
ways of teaching geometric concepts. They then choose a geometric theorem or concept and
use the dynamic tools of Geometry Inventor to create an original activity that will give
future learners experience with the chosen idea. Students present their activity to other
members of the class or to other classes.
Investigating Exponential Growth
"Exponential growth" is a term that is commonly used and easily modeled mathematically
However, recognizing how exponential growth differs from other rates of growth requires
experience with real-world situations. Students explore the relationship between real data
and a mathematical model by analyzing the growth rate of bacteria, the decay rate of
radioactive material, the growth rate of world population, and the growth rate of the U.S.
or another country's population. In the process of exploring growth and decay rates,
students experiment with semi-log graphing scales and graphing the logarithm of their
functions, in order to discover how valuable this tool can be. Students also explain
discrepancies between actual data and model predictions.
The Night Sky - Analyzing Celestial Observations
For centuries, people have gazed up at the night sky in wonder and tried to make sense
of what they have seen. Students analyze the geometry of constellations and the motion
of planets and their satellites by making actual observations, using Starry Night Backyard,
and creating simulations in Interactive Physics.
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