UNIT 10: MATHEMATICAL MODELING
In this unit students will:
The description of modeling as “the process of choosing and using mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, to understand them better, and to make decisions” is at the heart of this unit. The narrative discussion and diagram of the modeling cycle should be considered when knowledge of functions, statistics, and geometry is applied in a modeling context. Although the units in this instructional framework emphasize key standards and big ideas at specific times of the year, routine topics such as estimation, mental computation, and basic computation facts should be addressed on an ongoing basis. Ideas related to the eight process standards should be addressed constantly as well. To assure that this unit is taught with the appropriate emphasis, depth, and rigor, it is important that the tasks listed under “Evidence of Learning” be reviewed early in the planning process. A variety of resources should be utilized to supplement this unit. This unit provides much needed content information, but excellent learning activities as well. The tasks in this unit illustrate the types of learning activities that should be utilized from a variety of sources.
- Synthesize and generalize what they have learned about a variety of function families
- Explore the effects of transformations on graphs of diverse functions, including functions arising in an application, in order to abstract the general principle that transformations on a graph always have the same effect regardless of the type of the underlying functions
- Identify appropriate types of functions to model a situation,
- Adjust parameters to improve the model,
- Compare models by analyzing appropriateness of fit and making judgments about the domain over which a model is a good fit
- Determine whether it is best to model with multiple functions creating a piecewise function.
The description of modeling as “the process of choosing and using mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, to understand them better, and to make decisions” is at the heart of this unit. The narrative discussion and diagram of the modeling cycle should be considered when knowledge of functions, statistics, and geometry is applied in a modeling context. Although the units in this instructional framework emphasize key standards and big ideas at specific times of the year, routine topics such as estimation, mental computation, and basic computation facts should be addressed on an ongoing basis. Ideas related to the eight process standards should be addressed constantly as well. To assure that this unit is taught with the appropriate emphasis, depth, and rigor, it is important that the tasks listed under “Evidence of Learning” be reviewed early in the planning process. A variety of resources should be utilized to supplement this unit. This unit provides much needed content information, but excellent learning activities as well. The tasks in this unit illustrate the types of learning activities that should be utilized from a variety of sources.