STEM Integration

All AMP-IT-UP curriculum materials emphasize the integration of mathematics and science practices with grade-level specific disciplinary content. Practices are grouped together into themes that relate to the collection, visualization, interpretation and communication of data. The three themes are 1) Experimental Design, 2) Data Visualization, and 3) Data-Driven Decision Making. Each 1-week math and science module concentrates on one of these themes as students collect and manipulate data to answer a challenge. The themes are also integrated throughout the 18-week STEM-Innovation and Design (STEM-ID) connections courses.

Experimental Design

The Experimental Design theme emphasizes concepts included in NGSS Practice #3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Standards of Mathematical Practice (SMP) #1: Make Sense of Problems (e.g. plan a solution pathway), and SMP #5: Use Appropriate Tools Strategically. When engaging in these practices, students identify and control variables, create procedures, conduct experiments, use data-collection tools, and collect and analyze data.

Data Visualization

The Data Visualization theme includes concepts from NGSS Practice #4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data (e.g. making and using graphical displays), SMP #1: Make Sense of Problems (e.g. graph data and search for regularity or trends) and SMP #4: Model with Mathematics (e.g. map relationships using diagrams, two-way tables, graphs). The emphasis of this theme is that data can be represented in multiple ways, that different types of visualizations enable people to extract different meaning from the evidence, and that the best data visualization is the representation that most effectively illustrates the concept that the user wants to communicate.

Data-Driven Decision-Making

The Data-Driven Decision-Making theme asks students to make decisions or design solutions based on data in circumstances where there isn’t a simple solution and where trade-offs may exist. The modules introduce decision matrices as a tool for organizing data to extract meaning and inform decisions, and students then communicate and defend their decisions. This theme incorporates NGSS Practice #6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, as well as NGSS Practice #7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence, and the communication component of NGSS Practice #8: Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information. It also supports the math standards of SMP #1: Make Sense of Problems (e.g. analyze givens, constraints, relationships and goals), and SMP #3: Construct viable arguments.