Project Description
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The project is called an "expedition". It is a three-week study of forestry. Here is an outline of the project:
Using Inspiration software and a SmartBoard, I find out what students know about the environment and economical issues surrounding forest resources.
Students individually choose a topic to research more in depth. Students use resources such as encyclopedias, books, and the Internet.
Students create a PowerPoint® to share their information with others in the class.
Math investigations focus on how trees are given a basic monetary value, how trees are measured using trigonometry and geometry formulas, and the pattern of change in our environment due to the greenhouse effect.
Students do some trial fieldwork on campus to measure tall things such as buildings, poles, and trees.
Students read an article printed from a Web site to learn about board feet and scaling a log. They draw diagrams of board feet and cords. They create their own diameter strips and write a formula for finding the volume of a tree.
Students go to a local botanical garden to measure trees, calculate volume and board feet, and place values on the trees.
Students design display boards demonstrating the various topics studied.
Presentation to the science class including PowerPoints® and display boards to teach them about the forest and its resources. |
Rubric Information
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Rubric Title | Forestry Expedition |
Rubric ID | 87684 |
Teacher Name | Karen McPherson |
School | Buncombe Community School East |
Subject | Math |
Grade | 11-12 |
Project Includes
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Links | |
Standards | NM-GEO.9-12.1: Analyze and Develop
NM-GEO.9-12.4: Visualize, Reason, and Model
NM-MEA.9-12.1: Understand Measurable Attributes
NM-MEA.9-12.2: Apply Techniques
NM-DATA.9-12.3: Develop and Evaluate |
Teacher Tips | The rubric helped students critique their work. It was not used in their original presentation, but after presenting to the class (see 3) they used the rubric to evaluate one another. After the initial evaluation, students made revisions to improve their presentation before presenting again (see 9). I have done this project before, but created my own rubric. I enjoyed using the RubiStar, because it helped students focus on small parts of the presentation instead of just an overall impression. It also aided students in revising their work. |