Most students enjoy riding roller coasters. Pairing an algebra project with the students' love of roller coasters is a natural fit for learning. For this activity, students will investigate the speed of a roller coaster car as it relates to its height above the ground. Students will plot a two-dimensional coordinate system for three roller coasters by first determining the coordinates of a given point and then finding the best equation that represents the model.
Many students have had some experience with a fish aquarium either at home or in the classroom. For this activity, students will determine what types of materials are best suited for an aquarium by using concepts learned in algebra. Students will develop a two-dimensional coordinate system for graphing their data. They will collect data on the amount of water pressure compared to the depth of the water in an aquarium. From their findings, they will test different aquariums for quality and durability depending on the amount of water pressure in the tank.
Building a rover is a project that allows student to construct a robot and test its ability to climb over obstacles based on the diameter and spacing of the wheels. Once the students construct their rovers from robotics kits, such as LEGO robotics, they will adjust the spacing and size of the wheels to determine which ratio of size to space makes the rover function best. Students will construct a graph from their findings that represents the data and will look for patterns in the graph to determine which wheel size and spacing works best for their type of rover.
In this activity, students must program a robot to calculate the distance between two points in a three-dimensional space. This activity requires the use of a robotics kit, like LEGO robotics. Once the students create their robots, they must set up the robot in a three-dimensional space such as a box, empty fish tank or a small closet. Have students choose two points within the space that the robot will measure. Then have students come up with an equation that appropriately expresses what the robot will need to do to measure the space between the two points. This activity teaches students to interpret x,y,z notation in a three-dimensional space and to find the distance between two points in that space.