My students, boys and girls, have a high intellectual potential and they do strive to succeed, academically. They take my Advanced Placement (AP) calculus classes, which is not an easy class.
They also come from very diverse backgrounds, ethnically, and socio-economically.
30% of my students are under Free-Reduced Lunch (FRL) status and many more families are close to qualifying for FRL status.
My students put a lot of effort in their math classes and are genuinely eager to learn. They truly are focused on college.
My Project
In our Precalculus course, we graph polar equations and explore how changing parameters changes the graph. The equations are complex and are nearly impossible to graph by hand. The interesting and beautiful designs resulting from graphing polar equations with a graphing calculator can spark students imagination, and can lead to questions and discussions about the intersection of nature and mathematics. In addition, as students explore the curved nature of polar equations, we investigate the motion of robots and robotic machines and the computer programming that allows these robots to move with fluid circular motion.
This exploration is most effective when each student has their own calculator so they can take the path that most closely matches what they are intellectually curious about.
For students who don’t have their own calculator for this activity and have to share with their neighbor the genuine curiosity to explore is often lost.
So why don't all students have a graphing calculator, since it is so important for the class? Because these calculators cost an arm and a leg and many families under Free-Reduced Lunch status cannot afford them.
Five of these calculators would help everyone in the class tremendously. Thank you for considering our proposal.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Schneidau and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
