MCC General Maths

For this task you are to think about a situation that involves measurement that is problematic. That is there is something that needs to be calculated. Describe the situation, provide the necessary information for the task to be completed and post this task for other students by November 7th. You need to be able to complete the task yourself and are required to submit your solution to the task by email or other means by November 14th. On this day you are to post your solution for other students to view and make comments in regard to their approach compared to your methods.
An example of such a task is: A race track is being constructed. The organisers of the construction want to minimise the area used for the circuit. However, the curve is to be sufficient for a truck with a single non-articulating tray measureing five metres to turn without falling over. That is the turning curve must be sufficiently large for the truck to make the turn. What is the minimum curve needed for the truck to turn. Some modelling may be necessary.
 

On a daily basis you experience mathematics being used. We often struggle to think what these are. I would like my students to reflect on some of the times they meet mathematics and post these for other students to view.

In this activity I would like you to give a personal account of either
A. A question you have asked, or was asked by another, to which the answer required a knowledge of at least one mathematics concepts other than simple addition or subtraction. Describe the concept even if you did not or were not able to give an answer to the question at hand.
OR
B. A situation that captured your imagination that involved mathematics of some degree of sophistication. Possible examples are: A design application involving geometry, a measurement task that required trigonometry, an example of calculations involved in thinking about the current economic crisis or global financial situation. Describe what you know or might need to know to understand the situation.

This task is about awareness of mathematics in the real world, not proficiency with the mathematical skills involved.

On Friday November 7th we will be investigating the surface area of differents shapes of cake. For a set volume (amount of cake) the surface area may change depending of the shape. For example, the shape of a cake might be a semicircle with a whole in the middle, a rectangle, a flat cylinder, a cube. Which shape do you think will be the one with the smallest surface area and which the one with the greatest surface area?