Project Grant
Abstract
The Austin Independent School District suffers from an obvious discrepancy in the race of its students and their success on standardized tests. Students are clearly not relating the math they are learning to a real world application and without this; it is more difficult to attain any real understanding. With the explosion of the National Basketball Associations popularity over the last few years and the wave of high school players entering the draft, or attempting to baring new legislation, the NBA has greatly benefited from this fan base of younger dreamers. Be merging the NBA and mathematics, students not only use an interesting real world example to drive home important basic mathematics ideas, but also give students insight into a world of business and professional sports that most find intriguing. This project uses the backdrop of students managing their own professional basketball team to teach pivotal concepts of slope, correlation, and functions. Students will draft their own team using correlation and probability. They will then be responsible for managing this team and making mathematically sound trade choices to ensure their teams success. Groups will keep tabs on every trade they make and the statistics behind their team. In the end students will turn in a final portfolio including graphs and charts, with written out sentences of the math behind their managerial decisions. By embedding these ideas in the context of professional sports students will be able to construct their own definitions and meanings to these terms giving them a better grasp on mathematical ideas; building a solid understanding on these essential ideas will ensure greater success in mathematics in their future.Rationale
Ever since it's founding in 1949 the National Basketball Association has captured the hearts and dreams of thousands of young aspiring athletic dreamers. As the NBA has grown in popularity its fan base has exploded; in 2005, the national Basketball Association grossed 2.9 billion dollars in total revenue. Popular franchises make an average of 10 million per season on ticket sales. It is impossible to ignore the impact of professional basketball on not only our economy but our lives. As the NBA has exploded in popularity, unfortunately middle school mathematics has undergone the exact opposite transformation. In Austin Independent School District in 2005, 30% of African Americans enrolled passed the Math portion of the TEKS test. Our schools are simply not making mathematics accessible to these students in an effective way. Research shows students who learn by contextualizing mathematical concepts out perform their peers in real world mathematical application problems. By making the links with the National Basketball Association students will be able to make sense of the mathematics behind trades and reasoning. Because 77% of players in the NBA are African Americans, the correlation to the NBA will have a further impact on the African American contingent being left behind in A.I.S.D. By presenting the foundations of algebra in the context of a hobby and sport, students will grasp the concepts and make stronger connections than previousDescription
How is the math that we are teaching our kids in classes today relevant to the lives of adults in "the real world?" This project will give students exposure to how key mathematical concepts that may be taught in an otherwise "normal" classroom setting can be an integral part of popular culture - in this case, the world of professional sports management. As the students take ownership over their local sports franchise and face the challenges of juggling team finances and putting out a competitive product, this project aims to give students an entertaining and recreational outlet for the otherwise typical class-taught mathematical lessons. One perceived barrier that might be foreseen is the challenge in engaging students that aren't inclined in following sports. For students who are not interested in basketball the names are as foreign as the idea of wanting to own a basketball team. However we feel that we have designed a project that transcends the boundaries of just the sports world, having a fantasy team of sorts and playing with the probabilities of how each player will perform is a puzzle complex enough to interest anyone. Further, we can engage students by allowing them to be involved with multiple facets of professional sports franchise management. Project GoalsSpecific goals that this project will achieve:
- Students will learn to apply linear functions to managing the finances of a basketball team, in a landscape of complex financial restrictions and regulations.
- Students will learn to interact with other group members to negotiate deals and network with other peers in their world of business - this will develop social skills that are necessary for success in the business world.
- Students will develop a solid understanding of graphing and correlation through keeping track of individual team members and statistics.
- Students will understand concepts of slope and functions in a real world context of management.
Measurable milestones we will reach in meeting said goals:
- Successful use of linear functions to solve financial problems - will be measured via occasional classroom assessments.
- Weekly quizzes to asses that student understanding transcends just the basketball world and can be applied to other math ideas.
We will know that progress is being achieved by:
- The general managers (students) will be required to hold periodic "press conferences" to report what they have done to improve the sports franchise, and to report details on financial earnings and major transactions and deals.
- Team rosters will be displayed on the walls of the classroom at all times, so transactions and changes can be openly tracked by all groups at all times.
- Written summaries of major transactions - including the mathematics required to make a transaction (ie - trade or free agent signing) fit within the confines of the NBA regulations - will be submitted to the commissioner (instructors) before a transaction can be approved.
Project Calendar
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor Video- Groups Assigned | Player Draft Day | Tables---> Graphs | Stats Graphing (homework Due) | Independent/Dependent Variables (It Varies Lesson Plan) |
| Indep/Dep. Variables | Finish Domain and Range Homework Due | Lab Day (tables and stats for your team due at end of class) | Proportions and relations | Finish roprotions and relations QUIZ |
| Linear Functions-Relating two variables (Lesson Plan - Functions 1) | Linear Functions-solving x,y intercepts (Lesson Plan - Functions 2) | Lab Day (trades) | Linear Functions- y=f(x) notation, infering relationships | tables and graphs due for project Quiz over linear functions |
| Slope (Lesson Plan, Slippery Slope) | Slope with proportions and relations | Slope and Functions (homework Due) Trade day at end of class | finish slope and functions- Quiz on slope | Lab Day Justify trades |
| Final Write up Due | ||||
Budget
| Item Description | Unit Price | Quantity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| TI-83 Calculators (class set) | $100.00 | 30 | $3,000.00 |
| 4' x 8' cork bulletin board | $240.00 | 2 | $480.00 |
| Posterboard (25 pack of 22" x 28") | $25.00 | 10 | $250.00 |
| Total: | $3,730.00 |