Real World Math & Science

University of Massachusetts > STEM > July 2008 Real World Math & Science

PROBLEM SOLVING | Space in Space

When engineers at NASA started developing the new Orion space vehicle, they decided to reduce its diameter from 5.5 meters to 5 meters.  This activity has students work with this real world scenario to discover what challenges this change in size created for the engineering team.

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MATH ON TRACK | New York City Subway

Have you ever seen 3.6 million people in one day?  If you worked behind the scenes of the New York Subway, you might.  Check out how one of world's busiest subway systems transports all those people around New York City every day.

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SCIENCE ON TRACK | Roller Coasters

Loops, drops, speed and exhilaration are all key ingredients to a good roller coaster ride... but so are physics and algebra.  Show your thrill-seeking students why science and math are essential to a safe, fun ride.

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ALGEBRA IN THE REAL WORLD | Creating Cars

Your students like to ride in them, plan to drive one and hope to own one, but do they know they could also have a job designing them? Inspire your class by taking them inside Ford Motor Company to see how designers and engineers use math to steer the direction of their concept cars.

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INNOVATIVE ENERGY | Solar Powered Cars

Using the energy it takes to run a hair dryer, this solar-powered car travels 200 miles at speeds of 50 to 65 mph. Meet the team of students who built it.

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THE SCIENCE OF SAVING ANIMALS | Cheetahs

To help save an endangered species like the cheetah, you must start by understanding its behavior. Only the brave need apply for this job, however, because this kind of biological study is up close and personal.

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From the Archives: Creating an Advertising Campaign

It's been called the ad campaign that restored Apple's reputation.  Before the iPhone, iPod and the rest of Apple's success this decade, there was an innovative ad campaign built around two words:  Think Different.  Go behind the scenes to learn how it was created and the role math played for the graphic designers.

If any of your students are interested in graphic design, marketing, writing or creative career fields in general, this classic is a must-see! 

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ALGEBRA IN THE REAL WORLD | The Lundberg Farms

From planting the seeds to harvesting, and everything in between, Bryce Lundberg takes students through the process of growing one of our most important staples: rice.

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PROBLEM SOLVING | Ferret Figures

Imagine it's your job to save a nearly extinct species of ferrets native to North America.  What math skills could you use to give yourself the best chance of success?

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STRONG SHAPES | Bicycle Design

Whether designing bikes strong enough for extreme sports or fast enough for the world's best cyclists, understanding geometry is key.  Show your students why.

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IN THE FORECAST | Predicting the Weather

From tornados to hurricanes and thunderstorms to climate change, these nine scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) are using math and science to better understand and predict severe weather systems.

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PROBLEM SOLVING | Water Geometry

Landscape architects want to be sure that the plants and flowers in their gardens stay vibrant and healthy.  This activity has students solve a problem that they would face if designing a garden in a grand scale--they must ensure that every square inch gets enough water.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | Communication Satellites

It takes a sophisticated network of hundreds of communication satellites orbiting the earth to connect the dots of the global economy. It's a field that relies on everything from variables to patterns and measurement to space science.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | The Wind Business

The business of wind farming is booming but, as these three professionals explain, it's not as simple as sticking a pole in the ground and watching the turbines turn.  It can take years to plan and engineer these state-of-the-art wind farms. It's a problem-solving process that draws on an understanding of algebra, geometry, kinetic energy, electronics and just about everything in between in order to turn one of our most abundant natural resources into a viable business.

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PROBLEM SOLVING | The Forester

High up in Washington's Cascade Mountains, Tami Sabol is loading up her truck to start her day.  She has her chainsaw, snowshoes, bear spray and an ax; she even has a space blanket "just in case I have to spend the night some place."  Her office? The forest.  Tami uses math and science every day to keep hundreds of thousands of acres of trees healthy.

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LIVING & WORKING IN SPACE | The Surface of Mars

Something extraordinary is happening right now on the surface of Mars.  Just days ago NASA's robotic laboratory, named Phoenix, scraped into the hard, red soil and, like a prospector hitting the mother lode, found water ice and evidence at last that the conditions for life exist on at least one other planet.  This is big news!  But amazing discoveries about the red planet aren't limited to robotic missions.  There are rocks from Mars right here on Earth.  They've come to us over the eons as meteorites, and it is Molly McCanta's job to study them for clues about the geological history of Mars.

Mars is under the microscope this summer and the story is for everyone.

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PROBLEM SOLVING | A Valentines Bouquet

Want to show your students that algebra is truly everywhere?  Use this lesson to show them how they could use algebra to pick out the perfect bouquet of flowers.

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STATISTICS IN BASEBALL | First One in the Ballpark

Lisa Winston is a sports reporter.  She does most of her work before the game even begins.  She couldn't do her job if she didn't know math.  Show your students why statistics and algebra are crucial to the game of baseball.

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