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Grant Proposal
for the “Rock Band” project Project
Summary
Students
work in groups that operate as a team to complete their project.
Students are
responsible for documenting their work and presenting their findings to
the
class at the end of the project. After completing this project,
students will
gain a sense of how mathematics permeates many different aspects, even
if all
they want to do is grow up to be a rock star. Description
The
six-week project begins by exploring the origins of mathematics in
Western civilization. The ancient
Pythagoreans, who introduced the
fields of math and numbers into the Western world, discovered
mathematical
relationships through examining the harmonics of musical sound.
Students will
learn about their achievements while discovering the same mathematical
properties the Pythagoreans found.
The next section elaborates on the
introductory topics by letting students analyze the properties of a
vibrating
string, conducting qualitative and quantitative experiments in much the
same
fashion that Pythagorus did. Students
will formulate their own theories about the relationship of pitch to
length of
the string, and then compare their conclusions to those of Pythagorus.
The
project continues with a survey of the subject of acoustics. The mathematics of acoustics is extremely
high-level, and is not within the scope of this project, but students
will be
able to recognize key concepts when they see them, and develop an
understanding
of the key principles involved. Students will then embark on a study of
sound
volume. Using both simple mechanical
demonstrations and operational use of sound pressure detection
equipment,
students will learn to relate sound power with audible changes in
volume using
a logarithmic scale. They will then use
their findings to make conclusions regarding appropriate music volume,
and the
sensitivity of the human ear at various levels.
This portion of the lesson concludes with a
section on tinitus awareness and prevention, elaborated by a guest
speaker in
the health profession.
Another section of the project lets
students get creative with designing a stage set for a rock concert. We
take
this opportunity to examine conic sections through the context of stage
lighting. Several key mathematical concepts emerge from conic sections
–
specifically, parabolas. Students will examine the equation of the
parabola in
more detail by looking at the general, vertex, and standard equations.
They
will see how changing certain parameters affect a parabola’s graph. The students use graphing calculators to
explore these changes. By the end of the
lessons on conics, students will be able to identify the general equation for a
conic section, describe the principle of the directrix and focus of a
parabola,
and describe the effect of transformations on a graph.
Not only
will students discover mathematical concepts such as logarithms and
parabolic
functions from lessons utilizing music and sound, they will create a
cost-effective business model to help local emerging musicians make the
transition
to successful music artists. A local band would be used to drive
motivation for
this portion of the project. The band would visit the class to
introduce the
portion of the project to explain what type of help they need. They
again would
visit at the end of the project to select which model they like best
after
groups present to them their solution. Furthermore, students could
potentially
work with the organizers of the SXSW music festival - a weeklong event
that
gives emerging artists a chance to showcase their music - to create a
webpage
displaying the business models they have developed. This work would be
available to any band seeking help. Rationale
Studies
conducted in recent years have identified “Project Based Instruction”
as more
effective than traditional education. In
a 3-year study, Jo Boaler (2002) found that students involved in
project based
instruction score higher on problems involving conceptual and
analytical
thought, as well as those demanding direct recall and application of
mathematical techniques. Moreover,
researchers at SRI International found that students using technology
in their
projects outperformed those that did not.
Project
Based Instruction incites students to tie their mathematical knowledge
to other
disciplines by applying what they have learned to real world problems. As such, it heightens student awareness of
the culture they live in and the people with whom they share it. Students in
In
short, the vital need for realistic contexts and practical applications
become
more and more evident to members of the education community. This project serves this end amply and
explicitly. Students will be able to
develop an intrinsic interest and motivation in their work by directly
relating
it to the needs and concerns of the music community.
They will have a direct impact on the artists
who choose to adopt their business models, and labor under a sense of
responsibility and measurable consequence far beyond their own grades
and
academic careers. For many, these are
features never before likened to the mathematics classroom. Potential Impact
In
the course of this project, students will explore the mathematical
models and
principles that form the technical and business end of music production. Many will be led to question and reform their
own pre-conceived notions of the music industry, how excellent
performances are
achieved, how assets are understood and developed, and how the artists
are
eventually rewarded for their work. By
project’s conclusion, the students will form their own conclusions with
regard
to the optimal practices and procedures that can be taken by
independent
aspiring artists, and present their recommendations and models to
artists in
their area.
The
products that they make will have an enduring value long after the
project has
concluded, and has the potential to significant contribute to the
prevalent
music scene in
To
begin the project, however, we will have the students create concept
maps that
serve two purposes. First, it will allow us to see where the students
have
misconceptions about the math behind creating a rock band. Second, it
will give
them a structure that can be augmented throughout the project. We believe that with these assessment
techniques,
we will set up the students for success both on the group level and on
the
individual level.
Project Calendar
Budget Item
Price
#
Total Vernier
LabPro Interface
$220.00
10
$1980.00 Vernier
Microphone
$37.00
10
$333.00 Vernier
LoggerPro Site
License
$159.00
1
$159.00 *TI
83 Plus Graphing
Calculators
$99.98
30
2999.40 *Office
Supplies
$50.00
1
$50.00 Subtotal
$5521.40 *
Funding from school or
district
-$3049.40 Total
$2472.00 |
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