From: Claire (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: Mar 07, 2007 at 20:25:24
Subject: Re: Making a connection to their future

Hi, Cory --

While we don't often consider many jobs as being heavily math-related, nearly
everyone uses math at work everyday, in addition to the thinking skills you
mention that math prepares us for.

I used to assign my 5th and 6th graders the task of interviewing a parent,
relative, neighbor, or other accessible adult regarding how they use math in
their jobs. The students wrote about it and presented their findings to the
group. I had them find out what specific kinds of math the adult used in
their jobs, how they learned the math they needed, how important accuracy
was, what kinds of tools they used to help them do the math. The results far
exceeded my expectations and made a big impression on the kids. You could add
your own slant toward analytical thinking in a similar project.

I also took my students on field trips to several local establishments,
focusing on the same sorts of questions. An architectural firm, an
engineering school at a local college, an engineering research facility.

I hope this is helpful. Please write back if you have any questions about it.

 -Claire, for the T2T service

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