Group Project Information
Form a group of 3-4 students and together select a topic for your
project from the list below. Please note the due date
carefully--Tuesday, April 25--as late projects will be docked 10%
of the total possible points for every day they are late. Projects
must be typewritten on
paper, but math
formulas, equations and diagrams may be written in by hand if done so
neatly. Projects which are not typewritten will not be accepted and
will result in a grade of zero points for each member of the group.
In your projects you should pay particular attention to the following
guidelines.
- The project is a report on an investigation or question, so you
should follow the standard format taught in introductory composition
courses. This means your report should begin with an introductory
paragraph in which you discuss the question or problem that you are
examining and introduce briefly how you approached your work, perhaps
giving a brief statement of a discovery or a conclusion you
will examine in more detail later in the report. The next part of
your report will be the main body in which you discuss your work, give
your analysis, and demonstrate your results. The last part of your
report should be a summary of your findings and conclusions
backed up by the evidence you presented in the middle part of your
report.
- As with any report or project for a university course, you should
not turn in your first draft. You should reread and edit your report at
least once before submitting it for grading. Things to look for in the
editing process include typographical errors, math formula errors,
grammar and spelling errors, and awkward writing. All members should
read the final draft of the project and approve it before it is submitted.
- Equations and calculations should be accompanied by explanations
of what these calculations mean given in complete sentences.
- If tables or graphs are attached at the back, then the main body
of the report should include correct references to page numbers and figures.
- Sources used for information or data should be described and
adequate references given. Material taken from references must be
summarized in one's own words. Plagiarism is defined by the university
as ``the appropriation of any other person's work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one's own work offered for credit''.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to
Article XII of the Student Code.
The analysis of the problem, organization of work, grammar and
spelling will all be considered in the project grade. Specifically,
in evaluating the projects I will consider the following.
- Mechanics:
- (4 points) Spelling and grammar; neatly typed on
paper; title page with title of project
and names of all members; references cited correctly.
- Mathematics and Analysis:
- (20 points) Correct use of
mathematical concepts; math concepts accurately described and
explained; calculations correct; appropriate use of models and
reasoning; logical reasoning in presenting arguments and making
conclusions.
- Clarity and Presentation:
- (8 points) Thoughtful approach to
the project; organization of ideas; integration of the individual
members' contributions into a single coherent project; clarity of
discussion; appropriate group effort.
- Creativity and Originality:
- (4 points)
How well did you use your own ideas in your analysis, depth of analysis.
- Individual Work:
- (4 points) After you have submitted your
projects, you will be asked to evaluate the contribution of the
members of your group. These evaluations will be taken into
consideration for each member's project grade.
Although there are no specific page restrictions for the project, the
recommended length is 4-5 pages, double-spaced. If your project is
shorter than 4 pages, you may want to pursue a deeper investigation of
your topic. If you have concerns regarding the length of your paper,
see me individually.
Projects may be selected from the list below. If your group has an idea
for a project which is different from those listed, you may be allowed
to work through a project of your own design. My explicit permission is
required for this option, though.
- (Turtle Decline and Comeback) Research some background
information on the Kemp Ridley Turtle. Examine the data in the table
below and assuming that on average each female has 2.7 nests per year
calculate the number of nesting females each year. Expand the table
to show the absolute and relative change from year to year in the
number of nesting females. What does this tell you about the type of
change occurring during the decline and the comeback of the turtle?
Then plot your data on a graph and develop a line of best fit for the
early years. Give the equation of your line, discuss the meaning of
the slope in the practical context, and describe when this model would
predict the turtles to have become extinct. Does this linear model
seem to be a reasonable model for the period 1978 to 1985? Why or why
not? Develop an exponential equation to model the increase in the
number of nesting females between 1985 and 1994. Does this appear to
be an appropriate model for this time period? Explain. Researchers
hoped to have the number of nesting females reach 10,000 by the year
2010. What does your model predict for the year 2010? Does the
annual growth rate change towards the later years and if so how might
this affect the predictions made from your model? Considering the
1994 population, what growth rate would be necessary in order to
achieve the researchers goals? (adapted from the text, Using and
Understanding Mathematics)
| Year |
Turtle Nests |
| 1978 |
924 |
| 1979 |
954 |
| 1980 |
868 |
| 1981 |
897 |
| 1982 |
750 |
| 1983 |
746 |
| Year |
Turtle Nests |
| 1984 |
798 |
| 1985 |
702 |
| 1986 |
744 |
| 1987 |
737 |
| 1988 |
842 |
| 1989 |
878 |
| Year |
Turtle Nests |
| 1990 |
992 |
| 1991 |
1155 |
| 1992 |
1275 |
| 1993 |
1184 |
| 1994 |
1568 |
| |
|
- (Changes in the Minimum Wage) Do some research on the
history of the minimum wage in the United States. Then consider the
data in the table below which gives the minimum wage (in dollars) in
the United States from 1950 to 1991, showing only the years in which
the minimum wage changed. Add in any changes in the minimum wage
since 1991 that you have learned about in your research. Plot the
data on the graph and then develop the equation for what you consider
the curve of best fit to the data. How would you interpret the rate
of your model in this context? What does your model predict for the
minimum wage in the year 2010? Do you think one should look at the
effect of inflation in examining the growth of the minimum wage? If
so, explain briefly how you would do that; if not, explain why you
don't think inflation should be considered. Finally, summarize your
investigation into minimum wage in the United States and using
appropriate references discuss first the effect on workers of an
increase in the minimum wage, and secondly whether or not a salary
based on the minimum wage was ever intended to be a "livable salary."
(adapted from the text, Using and Understanding Mathematics)
| Year |
Minimum Wage ($) |
| 1950 |
0.75 |
| 1956 |
1.00 |
| 1961 |
1.15 |
| 1963 |
1.25 |
| 1967 |
1.40 |
| 1968 |
1.60 |
| 1974 |
2.00 |
| 1975 |
2.10 |
| Year |
Minimum Wage ($) |
| 1976 |
2.30 |
| 1978 |
2.65 |
| 1979 |
2.90 |
| 1980 |
3.10 |
| 1981 |
3.35 |
| 1990 |
3.80 |
| 1991 |
4.25 |
| |
|
- (Growth of the National Debt) First, describe and compare
linear and exponential growth in your own words. Then give examples
of each type of growth that are drawn from the fields of study of the
students in your group. Then, examine the yearly rise in the national
debt of the United States. The following table provides data on the
national debt in trillions of dollars.
| Year |
National Debt |
Absolute |
Relative |
| |
(in trillions) |
Change |
Change |
| 1986 |
2.13 |
--- |
--- |
| 1987 |
2.35 |
|
|
| 1988 |
2.60 |
|
|
| 1989 |
2.86 |
|
|
| 1990 |
3.23 |
|
|
| 1991 |
3.67 |
|
|
| 1992 |
4.06 |
|
|
| Year |
National Debt |
Absolute |
Relative |
| |
(in trillions) |
Change |
Change |
| 1993 |
4.41 |
|
|
| 1994 |
4.69 |
|
|
| 1995 |
4.97 |
|
|
| 1996 |
5.22 |
|
|
| 1997 |
|
|
|
| 1998 |
|
|
|
| 1999 |
|
|
|
Look up the national debt figures beyond 1997 and add this to the
table. (Sources: search the internet for US Treasury public debt
information or ask a reference librarian for periodicals.) Fill in
the Absolute Change and Relative Change columns by performing the
appropriate calculations. Based on the numbers you found do you
think the national debt grew linearly or exponentially from 1986 to
1991? Why? What about from 1991 to 1997? Graph the data from 1986
to 1991 and then from 1991 to 1997. Do your graphs suggest linear or
exponential growth? Explain. Develop and appropriate equation to
model each time period. Finally, provide some information on the
current situation of the national debt and discuss how doing this
project may affect your political opinion of the national debt issue.