Field trip ideas for high school math class

May 11, 2005 11:00 AM

Field Trip Filter - Where would you take a 10th grade math class on a field trip?

A friend who teaches 10th grade general mathematics in a low income area of southwestern Ontario wants to treat her students to a field trip for the end of the year. But it has to be related to how mathematics can be used in daily life/career. It's a general level class so most of the kids intend to either enter the workforce/skilled trade or go to community college after high school.

Her other option is having guest speakers. But she would rather give the kids a break from the class room.

Any suggestions for interest sparking, math/career related day trips around southwestern Ontario would be helpful. Thank you in advance!

posted by wannabehippie to education (9 comments total)

Wonderland has a science day program that involves rather a lot of math, but might need more physics than 10th graders have.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:17 AM on May 11, 2005

I assume by "southwestern Ontario", you mean "Windsor"? (They called it that when I lived in Detroit.) The two options that jump to mind are: Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn (if a border crossing is doable), or an amusement park somewhere so you can do acceleration calculations on the rides and stuff. Also, how far is the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto. Are either one of those close enough?
posted by Doohickie at 11:23 AM on May 11, 2005

On rereading the original post: It might be too close to the trip, but either one of my suggestions may have low-cost programs for low-income classes.
posted by Doohickie at 11:24 AM on May 11, 2005

How about the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo? They're really good at public outreach, although it might be a bit too much for 10th graders -- and the Institute is filled with young, enthusiastic people. Also, you could zip over to U. Waterloo and see some equipment/experiments for those who like more applied stuff.
posted by cgs06 at 11:25 AM on May 11, 2005

Oops... probably not appropriate for more workforce-math sort of stuff.
posted by cgs06 at 11:26 AM on May 11, 2005

If they're city kids (and even if they're not), use this as an excuse to get them out into the country and really observing nature. I'm sure you can concoct a lot of assignments concerning growth patterns in plants (Fibonacci, etc.), the ages of trees and how that relates to human history, population changes in forests and meadows, size (zoom in and out) and number (how many living things are in a drop of water or a cubic meter of soil, the economics of farming and forestry, the mathematics of evolution and extinction, and so on. Look into combinatorics and fractals and so on. Form teams beforehand, each with a mission, some assigned readings, and instructions for forming and testing hypotheses. Take samples back to the school for further analysis. Let the computer geeks conduct computer simulations. If it has to be workforce-related stuff, there must be plenty of jobs (farmers, biologists, doctors, etc.) you can scrape up that touch on related subjects.

And all the while, they will be traipsing through the wild and breathing fresh air.
posted by pracowity at 12:12 PM on May 11, 2005

I have no idea what's around southwest ontario, but you're asking the wrong people. Ask the kids where they want to go, and then build the lesson around that. Candy factory in the area? take them on a tour of the candy facotry, explaining how math affects each level of the process. Then give them candy. Local semi-pro baseball team? Take them out and teach them about statistics, managing the finances, etc.

The most successful educational field trips I've ever been on are the ones that get me excited to be there, and then sucker me with learning.
posted by slapshot57 at 12:33 PM on May 11, 2005

Is the TSE trading floor open?

Would security be a problem to take the class to the airport where they plot plane takeoff/landing trajectories?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 1:11 PM on May 11, 2005

Casino Windsor. Show them what happens to people with a poor grasp of statistics!

Seriously though, since these are 10th grade general math students fractals and Fibonacci sequences probably don't mean much to them. I'd try a woodworking shop that does custom furniture. How does the cost per board foot of lumber translate into the manufacturing cost of a piece of furniture? Why would you seemingly complicate the cutting process to pattern several pieces out of a single plank of lumber?
posted by substrate at 2:04 PM on May 11, 2005