CSI - Getting a Clue About Technology in Mathematics

Presenter: Rae Ann Pruitt, Mineola ISD

Things to think about...

• Consider students' interests
• Teach, reinforce or extend classroom TEKS
• Teach or reinforce technology TEKS
• Hands-On
• Be flexible

Setting the scene...

• Decide on a crime that's been committed in the classroom & determine the criminal
• Determine the skills you wish to teach or reinforce and use this to set up your centers
• Gether data from the people involved - did have to manipulate that data to point to the right person
• Create the PP or video for introduction and instructions
• Set up the "crime scene"

CSI Example

• The target audience - 8th grade class/had passed TAKS in 7th grade
• Activity can be adjusted according to the skill level
• Time: 3 hours over about 3 days

TEKS

• Covers most all the 8th grade math TEKS

Technology

• Graphing Calculators
• Digital Cameras
• TI Connct
• PP
• Movie Maker
• Projector
• Interactive Whiteboard
• Excel
• Word Processor
• Microphone

Center 1 - The evidence...Exhibit A & B

• Measure (in cm) the height of the members of all the groups - put in a Tchart - graph on calculator
• Complete a scatter plot to find the equation of linear regression (gave them step-by-step instructions how to do this on a calculator - part of their reading TAKS test)

Center 2 - Scene of the Crime

• Works on measurement
• How dimensional changes will effect the perimeter
• Find the dimensions of the crime scene to the nearest centimeter
• They'll eventually convert to inches - gave the measurements and had the chart
• Then they convert to feet
• They began to make comparisions and using problem solving skills to try and figure out what room the crime occured in

Center 3 - Fingerprint Data Base

• Mean, median, and mode of the widths to the nearest millimeter of the 5 fingerprints found on the cookie tin
• Suspects that have a fingerprint that matches the width of the mean, median or mode should be the focus of your investigation

Center 4 - Chart of who has keys and entered the room on that day

• Determine the probability of who might be the person
• Convert ratio to percent
• Order from greatest to least

Presentation

• Create a presentation from all of the collected data
• Get with their group to create their presentation
• Talk & Plan
• Work in a lab setting if possible so everyone can work at the same time
• Had to include all their collected data
• Let them use the interactive whiteboards (that motivates them!)

pruittr@mineolaisd.net

Can also accommodate this project to use with younger grades by changing how they find their suspect and make it applicable to that grade