Mathematical Modeling Project

(Mathematical Modeling in the Behavioral Sciences), Teachers College at Columbia, Spring, 2014)

Instructor: Joseph Malkevitch

(Due Date: Ideally May 5, 2014 but no later than the day of the Final, May, 12.)

Option I

Effective teaching involves having specific learning goals or objectives for one's students and developing a plan for achieving those goals in a learning context.

a. Pick a grade level (e.g. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12)

b. Pick a time period (e.g. 2 class periods or 3 class periods)

Now develop a learning activity or sequence of activities which should include a. lesson plans and b. handouts/worksheets for students that involve a mathematical idea(s) in the domain of:

a. Two-Sided Markets (Gale-Shapley Models)

or

b. Fairness, Equity or Game Theory (in the broadest sense)

designed for the grade level and number of class periods you have selected.

Note: You are welcome to develop something identical to or related to what was done in class. I am looking for the care and attention to getting the ideas that you want to teach across to your audience.

Explicitly state:

i. Grade level of the activity you designed.

ii. The amount of class time devoted to your "learning unit."

iii. As part of your project discuss the mathematical ideas that you are trying to get across.

iv. What you see as the benefit to the student that will result from your lesson.

v. How does your lesson relate to existing curriculum at the grade level you selected?

Option II

Develop the mathematics of one of the models or modeling situations developed in class significantly beyond and in more detail than was done in class, with a discussion of how what you discuss would fit into K-12 in support of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics. For example, you might discuss the mechanics of carrying out the Gale-Shapley model to when one is matching students and hospitals where the hospitals are allowed to have more than one slot for a student and where some students might not get paired with a hospital at all.

Please submit a print hardcopy (with electronic version if you like) on or before the due date. Electronic copy to:

jmalkevitch@york.cuny.edu

Note: Doing a project is optional but cannot hurt your grade for the course which will be based on the in-class final on the last day of class, participation in class, and performance on problem sets.

You can submit a preliminary version of what you plan to do for a project for comment if you would like.

Enjoy!