Introduction Imagine that you have just been accepted for one of the job offers. You are required to search the given websites to learn how math is used in day to day life of your given career. Each of you must find all possible uses of math as required by the career field. Based upon what each of you found, each will have knowledge about their careers. Which one uses the most math? When learning about a career there can be surprises as to how much math may be involved in everyday use. In the following WebQuest, you will not only be asked to find out how much math is involved, but which career actually uses the most math in everyday use. Each person in your group will become an expert on one of the careers and then you will all come together at the end to share what you have found. You will then construct an argument aimed at attracting math majors to your career field and show that your career uses the most math. The arguments will be set up as a panel style discussion. Classmates will ask questions and you will be required to respond. You will need to know how math applies to your career field and others, as questions may require you to compare different types. You will be asked to demonstrate to the rest of the class two areas on how you use math in your career and prepare a lesson that would teach these areas to incoming employees.

Task Your group has been assigned a different career. You will use the links provided as well as other resources (library, etc) to become experts on your given careers. Each member of your group will work separately to build his/her argument. After you have formulated your argument you and your group will work together on designing a discussion panel. This panel should be designed, to not only allow you to present your argument, but to covince students that math is needed to function in everyday life. By completing this WebQuest, you should achieve the following goals: 1) develop an interest in careers that involve Math; 2) use the power of the Internet for advanced exploration; 3) learn information about the day to day usage of math in your given career; 4) realize that some careers use math more than others; 5) formulate an argument that shows your career uses math the most and support it with sound calculations; 6)design a discussion panel that allows to present your argument while agreeing with your panel members that students need math in everyday applications; 7) work with group members to help create lesson plans for two math related areas in your career field; and 8) present your lessons to the rest of the class.

Process Every individual in each group will be working separately to explore web sites that I have selected. You should start with the pages that are labelled 'Background Information' before viewing links that are strictly for your career field. Each individual has to research his/her websites and build an argument as to who uses more math in day to day activities. As a group you will help each other develop lesson plans on two areas of math related activities and share your thoughts about math related topics in your career field. After you have formulated your argument and developed your lesson plans, you must present your argument to the rest of the class in your panel discussion so that they can vote for the one they consider gave the best argument. After all arguments have been given and the voting has taken place, your are to present your lesson plans. There is a task organizer and an evaluation rubric in Background Information to guide your work. Phase 1 - Background Information These sites are important because they will provide basic information about the topic as a whole. Everyone should explore these sites before starting your Task. Annenberg Media: Learner.org Education World Wall Street Journal Technology Services at National Institute of Standards and Technology Careers in Mathematics Math Guide

Phase 2 - Roles These careers were chosen because they each require some level of math to complete day to day activities. Each of you has been assigned a particular role with links and instructions below. Here are the general instructions for all of you. Please see your specific instructions and questions below. INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Each member from each WebQuest group will explore one of the roles below. 2. Read through the files designated for your career field. You can print out pages and underline the parts that you feel are important or cut and paste from the webpage into a word processor. 3. Remember to include the URL of the page you take information from so you can return to it and use it as a citation. 4. Formulate what you have learned about your career field into an argument that states your career field uses more math. 5. Help group members form a discussion panel. 6. Share your argument to try and convince listeners that your career uses more math while agreeing with your panel members that students need to use math for day to day applications no matter what they choose as their career field. 7. Develop a lesson plan to share with the class two areas of your career field that use math.

Doctor: Math Central Ratios and Proportions Used in Medicine Remember when answering questions you are trying to build an argument to say that your career uses the most math. 1. As a doctor how do you use mathematics? 2. Is it day to day usage or sporadic usage? 3. What is the easiest usage of math? What is the most difficult usage of math? 4. Is the math used performed at the Jr. High, Sr. High, or College level? 5. Are there serious consequences for performing math applications wrong?

Lawyer: How do lawyers use math? Remember when answering questions you are trying to build an argument to say that your career uses the most math. 1. As a lawyer how do you use mathematics? 2. Is it day to day usage or sporadic usage? 3. What is the easiest usage of math? What is the most difficult usage of math? 4. Is the math used performed at the Jr. High, Sr. High, or College level? 5. Are there serious consequences for performing math applications wrong?

Artist: Mathematics Department: National University of Singapore Mathematics and Art Remember when answering questions you are trying to build an argument to say that your career uses the most math. 1. As an artist how do you use mathematics? 2. Is it day to day usage or sporadic usage? 3. What is the easiest usage of math? What is the most difficult usage of math? 4. Is the math used performed at the Jr. High, Sr. High, or College level? 5. Are there serious consequences for performing math applications wrong?

Sports Analyst: University Of Richmond Sports math Remember when answering questions you are trying to build an argument to say that your career uses the most math. 1. As a sports analyst how do you use mathematics? 2. Is it day to day usage or sporadic usage? 3. What is the easiest usage of math? What is the most difficult usage of math? 4. Is the math used performed at the Jr. High, Sr. High, or College level? 5. Are there serious consequences for performing math applications wrong?

Construction Worker: Mathematics at Work -- Construction Construction and Design Remember when answering questions you are trying to build an argument to say that your career uses the most math. 1. As a construction worker how do you use mathematics? 2. Is it day to day usage or sporadic usage? 3. What is the easiest usage of math? What is the most difficult usage of math? 4. Is the math used performed at the Jr. High, Sr. High, or College level? 5. Are there serious consequences for performing math applications wrong?

Truck Driver: Math for Truck Drivers Remember when answering questions you are trying to build an argument to say that your career uses the most math. 1. As a truck driver how do you use mathematics? 2. Is it day to day usage or sporadic usage? 3. What is the easiest usage of math? What is the most difficult usage of math? 4. Is the math used performed at the Jr. High, Sr. High, or College level? 5. Are there serious consequences for performing math applications wrong?

Phase 3 - Reaching Consensus You have all learned about different careers involving math. Now each member will come back to the larger WebQuest group with expertise gained by searching from one perspective. You must all now design a discussion panel as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the discussion panel: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the web sites you explored to convince your teammates that your career uses math more and will be voted number one by the rest of the class. Your WebQuest group should list the careers according to how they think the rest of the students will rank them. In your panel discussion your members should answer the quest(ion), 'Why do we need math?' Share your lessons with the class to help answer this question.

Conclusion Which career do you think uses math more? Have your panel members changed your mind about your argument? Did teaching the lesson help you understand the math better? Now you all know a lot more. Nice work. You should be proud of yourselves! How can you use what you've learned to see beyond the black and white of a topic and into the grayer areas? What other careers involving math could still be explored? Remember, learning never stops.