If you want to “hook” your class on math right from the start, you may want to consider one of these real-world projects. Students deal with real data in these investigations—collecting, presenting, and analyzing their findings. As they work on the NCTM Data Analysis and Probability Standard, they apply school mathematics in contexts arising outside of mathematics, as recommended in the NCTM Connections Standard.

Down the Drain: How Much Water Do You Use?
In this Internet-based collaborative project, students collect data from their classmates and their household members about water usage. The goal is to determine the average amount of water used by one person in a day. They can share that information with other classes online and compare the average amount of water used per person per day in other parts of the country and the world. The project goes beyond merely collecting data to considering some real questions on wasted water. Information on how to set up the project, how to share data online, and how to publish student findings is included.

Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble: The International Boiling Point Project
Which do you think has the greatest influence on the boiling point of water: room temperature, elevation, volume of water, or heating device? To answer this question requires input from people all over the world, and this online collaboration allows your students to enter the investigation. They will boil water, under controlled conditions, record information, and post it online. They can analyze the data sent in by others worldwide and reach their own conclusions on what makes a pot of water boil.

Musical Plates: A Study of Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
In this series of lessons, students use real-time data to solve a problem, study the correlation between earthquakes and tectonic plates, and determine whether or not there is a relationship between volcanoes and plate boundaries. The science and data analysis are more demanding in this project than in the first two, but still within the range of the upper-level middle school student. Four activities, each designed to be used in a 45-minute class period, teach students how to access and interpret real-time earthquake and volcano data. “Real-time” actually does mean data on volcanic and earthquake activity that is going on during the time of your class investigation! Three enrichment lessons follow in this teacher-friendly unit.

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