The new senior math course, Applications in Mathematical Reasoning, was piloted in 2007-2008 school year by over 200 students in the Kent, Auburn, Renton, Sumner and Highline School Districts. For the 2008-2009 school year, the additional school districts of Federal Way, Enumclaw, Puyallup and Battleground are also using the course materials.

Kudo’s go to the following curriculum writers and pilot teachers: Deann Anguiano, Beth Shoemaker, Joy Comia, Carolyn Whitlock, Pete DeBolt, Eric Mohler, Philip Choe, Kim Franett-Fergus, Mike Olson, Damon DeLapp, Karen Steiner, Stacey Snyder, Paul Muckerheide, Robyn, Hougardy, Elizabeth Weyer, Robin Washam, Kris Kissel, Nanette Im and Laura Moore-Mueller.

The course is intended for seniors in high school who have always wondered, “When will I ever use this math?”

Preparing seniors for a successful transition to college or career choice after high school is one of the main goals of Applications in Mathematical Reasoning (AMR). The most successful students take math courses all four years of high school. However, not all students are interested in pursuing the traditional calculus track; even some who do finish calculus in their junior year may not have an opportunity to continue their mathematical studies as seniors. Many students take the state-required minimum of three years of math, leaving them wholly unprepared for college. They fall behind not just in mathematical knowledge, but also in the problem-solving and logical reasoning skills that are necessary in so many disciplines.

AMR is a rigorous, senior-level mathematics course that can be taken after, or as an alternative to, pre-calculus and calculus. The majority of AMR students would take the course immediately following their second year of algebra. However, the mathematical topics would engage students who have completed a year of calculus and who wish to improve their problem-solving abilities and reasoning skills.

The topics in AMR encourage student learning of various mathematical models to solve real-world applications. Wanting to keep more students engaged with mathematics, we offer coursework that highlights some of the beautiful and incredibly important applications in which mathematics plays a role. The topics include Social Choice (the mathematics of elections taught in time for November elections), Probability and Statistics (possibly the most important topics in mathematics for an educated citizen in a democracy) and Game Theory (with applications to everything from economics to military strategy to card games).

Two vital components of AMR are instructor training and literacy strategies. AMR topics and pedagogy are significantly different from a traditional high school mathematics course. Some topics may be new to instructors so the just-in-time, hands-on training provides the necessary understanding for successful classes. Many students have never learned successful note-taking or textbook reading skills for math courses. AMR instructors guide students with many activities meant to teach these study skills.

The AMR instructors notice that some students experience success for the first time in a mathematics class. Many topics are stand-alone modules which have allowed students to learn the content from a new module even if the previous module had not been mastered. Students recognize the worth of projects which model real-world problems. The emphasis on group work assessment and the de-emphasis on tests lead to student comments like, “So we can just learn the material?” Students previously disengaged from learning in math classes are beginning to think critically and be actively engaged in their own learning. The instructors have also been impacted by teaching AMR. One instructor noted that although his school would not be continuing to offer the course he would like to continue to utilize the AMR pedagogy in his classes. Several instructors have written, “This is the most fun I have ever had with a math class!”

Specific Course Content:

• Graph Theory
• Scheduling
• Linear Programming
• Voting Theory
• Statistics
• Probability
• Fair Division
• Finance
• Geometry
• Continuous Functions
• Game Theory