Standard
7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Students will apply the knowledge and
thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and
make informed decisions.
Key
Idea 1
Connections:
The knowledge and skills of mathematics,
science, and technology are used together to make informed decisions and solve problems,
especially those relating to issues of science/technology/society, consumer decision
making, design, and inquiry into phenomena.
Performance Indicators
(Benchmarks)
Elementary Level
Students:
- analyze science/technology/society
problems and issues that affect their home, school, or community, and carry out a remedial
course of action.
- make informed consumer decisions by
applying knowledge about the attributes of particular products and making cost/benefit
tradeoffs to arrive at an optimal choice.
- design solutions to problems involving a
familiar and real context, investigate related science concepts to inform the solution,
and use mathematics to model, quantify, measure, and compute.
- observe phenomena and evaluate them
scientifically and mathematically by conducting a fair test of the effect of variables and
using mathematical knowledge and technological tools to collect, analyze, and present data
and conclusions.
Middle Level Students:
- analyze science/technology/society
problems and issues at the local level and plan and carry out a remedial course of action.
- make informed consumer decisions by
seeking answers to appropriate questions about products, services, and systems;
determining the cost/benefit and risk/benefit tradeoffs; and applying this knowledge to a
potential purchase.
- design solutions to real-world problems of
general social interest related to home, school, or community using scientific
experimentation to inform the solution and applying mathematical concepts and reasoning to
assist in developing a solution.
- describe and explain phenomena by
designing and conducting investigations involving systematic observations, accurate
measurements, and the identification and control of variables; by inquiring into relevant
mathematical ideas; and by using mathematical and technological tools and procedures to
assist in the investigation.
Commencement Level
Students:
- analyze science/technology/society
problems and issues on a community, national, or global scale and plan and carry out a
remedial course of action.
- analyze and quantify consumer product
data, understand environmental and economic impacts, develop a method for judging the
value and efficacy of competing products, and discuss cost/benefit and risk/benefit
tradeoffs made in arriving at the optimal choice.
- design solutions to real-world problems on
a community, national, or global scale using a technological design process that
integrates scientific investigation and rigorous mathematical analysis of the problem and
of the solution.
- explain and evaluate phenomena
mathematically and scientifically by formulating a testable hypothesis, demonstrating the
logical connections between the scientific concepts guiding the hypothesis and the design
of an experiment, applying and inquiring into the mathematical ideas relating to
investigation of phenomena, and using (and if needed, designing) technological tools and
procedures to assist in the investigation and in the communication of results.
Key
Idea 2
Strategies:
Solving interdisciplinary problems
involves a variety of skills and strategies, including effective work habits; gathering
and processing information; generating and analyzing ideas; realizing ideas; making
connections among the common themes of mathematics, science, and technology; and
presenting results.
Performance Indicators
(Benchmarks)
Elementary Level
Students:
Students participate in an extended,
culminating mathematics, science, and technology project. The project would require
students to:
- work effectively
- gather and process information
- generate and analyze ideas
- observe common themes
- realize ideas
- present results
Middle Level Students:
Students participate in an extended,
culminating mathematics, science, and technology project. The project would require
students to:
- work effectively
- gather and process information
- generate and analyze ideas
- observe common themes
- realize ideas
- present results
Commencement Level
Students:
Students participate in an extended,
culminating mathematics, science, and technology project. The project would require
students to:
- work effectively
- gather and process information
- generate and analyze ideas
- observe common themes
- realize ideas
- present results
Skills
and Strategies for Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Working Effectively: Contributing to the
work of a brainstorming group, laboratory partnership, cooperative learning group, or
project team; planning procedures; identify and managing responsibilities of team members;
and staying on task, whether working alone or as part of a group.
Gathering and Processing Information:
Accessing information from printed media, electronic data bases, and community resources
and using the information to develop a definition of the problem and to research possible
solutions.
Generating and Analyzing Ideas:
Developing ideas for proposed solutions, investigating ideas, collecting data, and showing
relationships and patterns in the data.
Common Themes: Observing examples of
common unifying themes, applying them to the problem, and using them to better understand
the dimensions of the problem.
Realizing Ideas: Constructing components
or models, arriving at a solution, and evaluating the result.
Presenting Results: Using a variety of
media to present the solution and to communicate the results. |