Project Abstract
The slope art project demonstrates that math is beautiful while reinforcing the essential concept of slope and practicing the skill of calculating slope, y-intercept, and domain. The project allows student to get direct feedback about how they are doing and gain a deeper understanding of Algebra.
What did you teach and how did you teach it?
Graphing in a 2D coordinate plane
Linear Equations
Functions
Order of Operations
Domain
Slope
Algebraic Manipulation
What concepts and skills did the students gain in this class through this project?
The math concepts mentioned above as well as the ability to program using the widely used Python Programming Language. Additionally, students learned refinement and cooperation as they helped each other refine and fix their incorrect calculations.
How is the curriculum for this project academically rich and grade-level challenging?
This project requires a rich understanding of slope and linear equations. Students leave this project having practiced and discussed the concepts exhaustively. This project also encourages questions like why is the slope of a vertical line infinite and what does it mean to change the y-intercept of a graph.
The programming concepts are typically not taught in traditional high school math curriculum unless one takes a computer science course. It is my hope that the popularity of this project and integrating math and computer science will catch on so others feel comfortable teaching this valuable 21st century skill.
To what extent was there integration across disciplines in your class through this project?
This project had a common exhibition with my humanities teaching partner. The examples were up for all to see.
Which Habits of Heart and Mind (HoHM) and Design Principles were utilized in this project?
Habits of the Heart and Mind Focus:
Mindfulness
Refinement
Evidence
Perseverance
Cooperation
Design Principles
Personalization
Common Intellectual Mission
How did you incorporate refinement through this project?
The project and the large amount of calculations required for the project usually mean that no one gets all of their lines right the first time. This leads to the students having to ask for help from each other or the teacher to understand.
The students want to create their own design so they are highly motivated to finish and correct their mistakes. This led to a deeper understanding of the material.