GBMP Engineering Tasks: "Why do we need to know this stuff?"

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Project overview and contact information.

Patterns, Functions, & Algebraic Thinking Task

Students use their understanding of mathematical patterns in the task of predicting how fast a wound heals.

Numerical Reasoning Tasks

Task 1: Students use their knowledge of fractions, ratios, and percents to design a safe shower that also conserves water and energy. 

Task 2: Students use their knowledge of fractions, ratios, and percents to plan the timing for traffic lights at a busy intersection.

Geometry & Proportional Reasoning

Students use their understanding of geometry in the task of predicting how fast a wound heals.

Probability & Data Analysis Task

Students use their knowledge of data analysis and mathematical probability to predict when a jumbo paperclip will fail.

Other Project Items

Check here for items such as a correlation to Alabma's Course of Study and resource materials.

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The Tasks

Math students are always asking their teachers, "Why do we need to know this stuff?" The engineering tasks shown on this site are designed to help answer that question. The tasks show practical, real applications of math so that teachers and students can connect math to the real world. The math in the tasks focuses on the math taught typically at the middle school level, and many of the applications are being used now by engineers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The Team

The GBMP Engineering Tasks team is made up of Dale Feldman, Mindy Lalor, Linda Lucas, Anne McClain, and Lee Meadows. Dale is a biomedical engineer and an associate professor in UAB's School of Engineering. Mindy is a civil and environmental engineer, an associate professor, and Associate Dean of UAB's School of Engineering. Linda is a biomedical engineer, a professor, and Dean of UAB's School of Engineering. Anne is a mechanical engineer and an assistant professor in UAB's School of Engineering. Lee is an associate professor of science education in UAB's School of Education.

For additional information on the engineering component of the GBMP and our efforts so far, please view a paper submitted for presentation in a K-12 Mathematics session at the 2007 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition.

The Greater Birmingham Math Partnership

Our work is part of the Greater Birmingham Math Project (GBMP) with support from the National Science Foundation's Math and Science Partnership program. Our GBMP partners at the Mathematics Education Collaborative (MEC) have given us valuable insight as we've developed these engineering tasks.

Wound Healing: Our first task focuses engages students in how fast a wound will heal.