Finding Real World Examples.

 

Connecting mathematical concepts to real-world applications is crucial for helping students understand their relevance and appreciate their practical uses. By providing concrete examples that students can relate to, educators can make math more engaging and meaningful.

There are five steps we can use to find real life examples. 

1. Identify the mathematical concept: Clearly define the mathematical concept you want to illustrate. This will help you narrow down your search for relevant examples.
2. Consider Student Interests: Think about your students' hobbies, passions, and experiences. This will help you find examples that are relatable and engaging.
3. Explore Real-World Data: Look for real-world data that can be used to illustrate the mathematical concept. This could include data from newspapers, magazines, or government websites.
4. Create Hypothetical Scenarios: If you can't find real-world data, create hypothetical scenarios that are relevant to your students' lives. For example, if you're teaching probability, you could create a scenario about winning a lottery or rolling dice.
5. Make the Examples Concrete: Use vivid language and specific details to make your examples as real as possible.For example, instead of saying "a car is moving at a constant speed," you could say "a car is driving down the highway at 65 miles per hour."

It can be hard to make examples relatable to our students. To make real-world examples truly relatable, it's important to consider your students' backgrounds and experiences. Avoid using examples that are too abstract or unfamiliar.  Instead, try to find examples that resonate with their everyday lives.

You can also personalize examples by incorporating students' names, interests, or local landmarks. For instance, instead of saying "a store is selling apples for $2 per pound," you could say "the local grocery store is selling apples from [local orchard] for $2 per pound."

So what are some of the real life examples for certain mathematical topics.  Here is a list to help you get started.

• Algebra: Slope of a line (e.g., the slope of a ski hill), linear equations (e.g., the cost of a phone plan), quadratic equations (e.g., the path of a projectile)
• Geometry: Area and perimeter (e.g., the area of a garden, the perimeter of a room), angles (e.g., the angle of a ramp), symmetry (e.g., patterns in nature)
• Statistics: Probability (e.g., the probability of winning a lottery), data analysis (e.g., analyzing sports statistics),sampling (e.g., conducting a survey)
• Calculus: Rates of change (e.g., the rate of population growth), optimization (e.g., finding the maximum profit for a business), accumulation (e.g., calculating total distance traveled)

By finding real-world examples that are relevant and engaging, you can help students connect mathematical concepts to their own experiences and develop a deeper understanding of the subject. Hopefully, this entry will help you get started in finding real life examples for your students.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.