Project Template

A detailed description of the assessment plan is given below. The individual rubrics can be found at the following links.

Homework Assignments and In-Class Assessments Rubric
Class Participation Rubric
Written Project Report Rubric
In-Class Presentation Rubric
Presentation Feedback Rubric
Individual Paper Rubric
City Hall Rubric

Name: _______________________ 9/17/07

Will You Live to be 110?

Background:

For the next few weeks, our class will explore the broad question, "Will you live to be 110?". You will be split into groups of 3, and each group will choose a topic that relates to longevity (ex: "How does smoking affect lifespan?"). You must clear your topic with me before you proceed with the rest of the project. At the end of this project, you will present your findings to representatives at City Hall and give them suggestions for how to improve the health of our community.

Project Description:

There are several components to this project. First, you will get in your groups and select a topic to research. Then, you will complete the following:

1. Data gathering and analysis

This will take place throughout the project. You will learn in class how to analyze data using statistics. Then, our class will have two days in the computer lab for you to research your topic. If you take advantage of these lab days, you should not have to spend much time outside of class on this part of the project.

In-class lab days: September 21 and 26

2. Interview with professional

I will bring in one or two longevity experts for you to interview (ex: a doctor, a statistician, etc.). You will be responsible for preparing relevant questions and dressing professionally. I will provide tape recorders for you to document your interviews. Each group will have between 10 and 15 minutes to speak to the professionals.

Interview day: September 27

3. Informal survey

Once we learn more about statistics, you will create an informal survey to implement in our community. The length of your survey will depend on what your topic is and what you hope to find out, but your survey should include no more than 5 questions. You should survey at least 20 people throughout the community.

Due date: The informal survey results will be due October 2 with the write-up.

4. In-class presentation

More information will be given about this once I see what topics everyone chooses. You will have to consolidate your results from steps 1-3 into a 10 minute presentation to be given in class. Also, you must include recommendations for how to improve the community's health regarding the topic you researched. After each presentation, there will be 2 minutes of question and answer time during which the class will ask the presenting group questions about their topic or about any points that were unclear in the presentation. You will also have to pay attention and give constructive feedback to other groups regarding their presentations. More details on what type of feedback you are expected to give will be given on the first day of the presentations.

In-class presentation days: October 1-2

5. Written project report

At the end of the in-class presentations, each group will turn in a written summary of everything they have done. Your written report must include:

Due date: October 2

6. Preparation for City Hall

You will receive lots of constructive feedback on your in-class presentations from me and from your fellow students. Before the trip to City Hall, you will be given two days to tweak your presentations based on the feedback you receive. You should make sure you answer any remaining questions that any of your classmates had after your in-class presentation. If you are unsure of what recommendations to make regarding your topic, get help from your classmates in other groups. Collaboration is encouraged!

Preparation days: October 3 and 4

7. Trip to City Hall

On October 5, we will visit City Hall and you will give a presentation to community leaders and members of the general public at a public meeting. Everyone must dress professionally. Each group will be given 10-15 minutes to present their findings and give recommendations on what the community and the community's leaders can do to help. In general, these presentations will be similar to the in-class presentations, and what exactly each group should include will be discussed during the in-class preparation days.

Date of trip to City Hall: October 5

8. Individual paper:

You will each be expected to write an individual paper that summarizes your experience in this unit. More details will come later! The paper will not be due until a few days after the City Hall visit.

Due date: October 9

Name: _______________________ 10/4/07

Individual Paper

Due Date: October 9

Hopefully you have all enjoyed this unit and learned from it. I would like you to each write a paper that answers the following questions to help me when I teach this unit in the future. You may answer the questions in any order you like as long as you answer all of them.

What did you learn about mathematics in doing this project?
What did you learn about health in doing this project?
What do you plan on changing in your life after completing this project (if anything)?
How did this project change your view of mathematics?
What would you change about this project to make it a more valuable learning experience (if anything)?

Your overall unit grade will be calculated as follows:

15% Homework assignments and in-class assessments

10% Class participation

20% Written project report

15% In-class presentation

10% Feedback on classmates' in-class presentations

10% Individual paper

20% Visit to City Hall/City Hall presentation

Detailed rubrics for each of these topics are included below.

To calculate your grade, compute the following:

0.15(homework and assessments grade) + 0.10(class participation grade) + 0.20(written project report grade) + 0.15(class presentation grade) + 0.10(feedback grade) + 0.10(individual paper grade) + 0.20(City Hall grade) = Unit Grade