Driving Question
Under what conditions (environmental and economical)
should a farmer use their farm to produce a fuel crop?
Focus of the Teacher Context and Learners:
Algebra I
Grade: 9-12
Number of students: 15-30 students
Mixed gender
Rural setting
Meaningful, Authentic, and Appropriate:
We are all teaching in rural classrooms, where all students are familiar with
farm life. Many students are members of families that earn their livelihood on
farms, so this question is of vital importance to them. These farming families,
who are integrally involved in the community, may be seeking new sources of
profitability for the farm: biofuels are an intriguing possibility which could
be viable soon in Indiana.
Ill-structured (open-ended, multiple modes of inquiry):
Students are free to consider the particular factors which interest
them--environmental or economical-- when approaching this problem. No right or
wrong answer exists; and students will have to back up their answers to the
driving question with sound math and reasoning.
Interdisciplinary:
There are a number of routes that students could take to approach the idea of
moving to production of biomass for biofuels on a farm. They may consider the
question in terms of environmental impact of creation of biomass, and then
production of biofuels, an environmental approach. They are also encouraged to
explore economic considerations of the shift, an approach which will involve
mathematics. Finally, they will be asked to create reports discussing their
findings, and possibly write a proposal for shifting their farming activities to
biomass production to a governmental body, a language arts based
skill.
Curriculum Integration (focus on question):
Our driving question will allow us to address content and practice standards in
Algebra I and Algebra II (IDOE, 2010). It will be able to address systems of
equations, graphs, functions, and modeling all within the context of converting
a farm to one that produces biomass to be used for biofuels. We will keep
students focused on the question by tailoring our guided inquiry activities to
be related to biomass and our driving question. Click on the following link to
see an example of one of these activities: Sorting Biomass and Biofuel Crops.
Biomass Content:
We will be examining the viability of farmers moving to biomass and biofuels.
Within this topic, students will determine economic and environmental factors
which would influence a farmer’s decision to move to production of biomass for
biofuels. They will be examining matter cycles within a farming and biofuel
context, particularly to determine the environmental impact. They will examine
the profitability of biofuels, based not only on the current processes and their
productivity, but taking into account a number of other factors of farming life
and biofuel production.
Content Grounding in Real Life and Work Beyond School:
Farming is a part of work for many students in rural schools and an integral
part of work for many. The mathematical concepts learned are grounded in the
economics of farming and biofuel production, both are practical concerns for our
students.
should a farmer use their farm to produce a fuel crop?
Focus of the Teacher Context and Learners:
Algebra I
Grade: 9-12
Number of students: 15-30 students
Mixed gender
Rural setting
Meaningful, Authentic, and Appropriate:
We are all teaching in rural classrooms, where all students are familiar with
farm life. Many students are members of families that earn their livelihood on
farms, so this question is of vital importance to them. These farming families,
who are integrally involved in the community, may be seeking new sources of
profitability for the farm: biofuels are an intriguing possibility which could
be viable soon in Indiana.
Ill-structured (open-ended, multiple modes of inquiry):
Students are free to consider the particular factors which interest
them--environmental or economical-- when approaching this problem. No right or
wrong answer exists; and students will have to back up their answers to the
driving question with sound math and reasoning.
Interdisciplinary:
There are a number of routes that students could take to approach the idea of
moving to production of biomass for biofuels on a farm. They may consider the
question in terms of environmental impact of creation of biomass, and then
production of biofuels, an environmental approach. They are also encouraged to
explore economic considerations of the shift, an approach which will involve
mathematics. Finally, they will be asked to create reports discussing their
findings, and possibly write a proposal for shifting their farming activities to
biomass production to a governmental body, a language arts based
skill.
Curriculum Integration (focus on question):
Our driving question will allow us to address content and practice standards in
Algebra I and Algebra II (IDOE, 2010). It will be able to address systems of
equations, graphs, functions, and modeling all within the context of converting
a farm to one that produces biomass to be used for biofuels. We will keep
students focused on the question by tailoring our guided inquiry activities to
be related to biomass and our driving question. Click on the following link to
see an example of one of these activities: Sorting Biomass and Biofuel Crops.
Biomass Content:
We will be examining the viability of farmers moving to biomass and biofuels.
Within this topic, students will determine economic and environmental factors
which would influence a farmer’s decision to move to production of biomass for
biofuels. They will be examining matter cycles within a farming and biofuel
context, particularly to determine the environmental impact. They will examine
the profitability of biofuels, based not only on the current processes and their
productivity, but taking into account a number of other factors of farming life
and biofuel production.
Content Grounding in Real Life and Work Beyond School:
Farming is a part of work for many students in rural schools and an integral
part of work for many. The mathematical concepts learned are grounded in the
economics of farming and biofuel production, both are practical concerns for our
students.