Students often wonder where in real life they would need any math skills. They do recognize the need for simple math, such as addition and multiplication, but in middle school, there are some topics where kids can start wondering why even study them (such as square roots or integers).
Then, in 8th or 9th grade, when students take algebra, many more can start asking this age-old question, "Where will I ever need algebra?"
The answer to that is that you need it in any occupational field that requires higher education, such as computer science, electronics, engineering, medicine (doctors), trade and commerce analysts, ALL scientists, etc. In short, if someone is even considering higher education, they should study algebra. You need algebra to take your SAT test or GED.
Algebra also lets you develop logical thinking and problem solving skills. It can increase your intelligence! Actually, studying any math topic can do that (even elementary math), if the mathematics is presented and taught in such a manner as to develop a person's thinking.
You can admit to your student(s) that many mathematical concepts in algebra and beyond are not needed in every single occupation, especially in those of mostly manual labor. That is no big secret. You can check Math Careers Database for the math requirements of 277 major occupations.
Also, the website Algebra in the Real World has short movies, lesson guides, and student worksheets that show how algebra is used in with real word applications, such as roller coasters, banking, rice production, skyscrapers, solar power, and lots more.
But ask your students, do they know for sure what they are going to do as adults? Most kids in middle school are not sure. If they are not sure, they'd better study algebra and learn all the math they can so that when they finally have some idea, they won't be stopped from a career because of not having studied algebra, geometry, or calculus.
And, even if students think they know what they want to be, how many times have young people changed their mind?? Even we as adults don't necessarily know what kind of job or career changes are awaiting us. In times past, you could pretty well bank on either becoming a housewife (girl), or continuing in your father's occupation (boy). In today's world this is not so. Kids have more freedom in choosing - but the other side is that young people need to study more to get a good solid basic education. Sometimes young people just need an adult to tell them about these things: they don't know all about their future so they need to keep studying, even math.
To futher help students see mathematics and algebra in real world, check the free worksheets on the website Make It Real Learning. These focus on answering the question, "When am I ever going to use this?" They also sell worksheets, and as a special BONUS HomeschoolMath.net visitors get 30% off their regular pricing with the coupon code "save30".
Another site to check out is Micron: Math in the Workplace, which contains a collection of real-world math problems and challenges contributed by a variety of businesses, demonstrating the relevance of math in today's world.
Example: where do you need square roots?
As an example, let's say your students wonder, "Why do I need to know how to calculate the square root of a number? Are square roots really needed in life outside just math studies?"
Here's an idea of how you as a teacher/parent can show students one important real-life application of square root AND at the same time let them ponder where math is needed — AND hopefully pique their interest into math problems in general. This lesson idea will work best when you've taught the square root concept but not yet touched on Pythagorean theorem.
Draw a square on board/paper and draw one diagonal into it. Make the sides of the square to be, say, 5. Then make the picture to be a right triangle by wiping out the two sides of square. Then ask students how to find the length of the longest side of the triangle.
The students probably can't find the length if you haven't yet studied Pythagorean theorem. But that's part of the "game". Have you ever seen an ad where you couldn't tell what they were advertising? Then in a few weeks the ad would change and reveal what it was all about. It makes you curious, doesn't it.
So try to let them think about it for a few minutes and not tell them answer. Hopefully it will pique their interest. Soon you'll probably study Pythagorean theorem anyway, since in school books it often follows square root.
Then go on to the question: In what occupations or situations would you need to find the longest side of a right triangle if you know the sides? This can get them to thinking and involved!
The answer is, in any kind of job that deals with triangles. For example, carpenters, engineers, architects, construction workers, those who measure and mark land, artists, and designers of many sorts need to know it.
One time I observed people who needed to measure and mark on the ground exactly where the building would go. Well, they had the sides marked, and they had a tape measure to measure the diagonals, and they asked ME what the measure should be, because they couldn't quite remember how to do it. This diagonal check is to ensure that the building is really going to be a rectangle and not a parallelogram. It's not easy to be sure that you have really drawn the to sides in a right angle.
Now, beyond this simple example, square root as a CONCEPT is needed to understand other math concepts further on. Studying math is like building a block wall or a building: you need the blocks on the lower part to build on, and if you leave holes in your building, you can't build on the hole.
The concept of square root is a prerequisite and ties in with many many other math concepts:
Algebra in the Real World
Short movies, lesson guides, and student worksheets that tie algebra in with real word applications, such as roller coasters, banking, rice production, skyscrapers, solar power, and lots more.
Math Apprentice
A multimedia site that provides students an opportunity to try various professions that use math. Students can be scientists, engineers, computer animators, video game programmers, and more. Math Apprentice provides areas of free exploration as well as specific problems to solve. It is meant for upper elementary and middle school students.
Mathematical Moments - a series of one-page PDF files that promote appreciation and understanding of the role mathematics plays in science, nature, technology, and human culture. The one-page flyers cover very diverse topics such as findign oil, solving crimes, DNA, brain, traffic, aircraft design, etc.
Micron: Math in the Workplace
A great collection of REAL-world math problems contributed by a variety of businesses, demonstrating the relevance of math in today's world. The intent of these lessons is to excite students about mathematics, to expose students to professions that employ mathematics, and to demonstrate the relevance of mathematics in solving real-world challenges.
Make It Real Learning
Math projects/worksheets of real-life applications, focused on answering the question, "When am I ever going to use this?" As a special BONUS, HomeschoolMath.net visitors get 30% off their regular pricing with the coupon code "save30". Check also their free worksheets.
Math Careers Database - descriptions for 277 major jobs and what math topics are needed on the job.
When Will I Use Math - Careers
This site listsw various careers where math is used, including a description, salaries, math courses needed, and more.
Career profiles
Essays from authors from a variety of careers for which a background in the mathematical sciences is useful.
Examining How Mathematics is Used in the Workplace
Mathematics in Automobile Production; Proportional Reasoning by Nurses; Modeling the Mathematics of Banking; Mathematical Models as Seen by Biologists; How do Scientists Interpret Graphs?
Math in Technology
Fully written out examples of how various areas of mathematics are applied to various areas of technology.
Real World Math: Engaging Students through Global Issues
This is a supplementary math text with a teacher's guide and a student workbook. They contain 15 lessons that engage students in learning foundational algebra and geometry through real-world data on global issues such as climate change, population, and financial literacy.
Comments
Instead of using the shotgun approach, schools should be teaching either professional or trade schools as appropriate at high school level. You could then teach specific math principles as appropriate. I am looking at my kids geometry, calc. classes and thinking what a waste of valuable teaching time. You would need higher math skills to figure out the billions of wasted dollars spent teaching upper math skills for no reason. What a shame.
truth you
I've always hated math but I never thought it would keep me from getting a college education. I found it so difficult to pass that I just quit. I still haven't graduated...
You need math so you can graduate high school and go to college.
Em
what kind of math skills do you need to be a construction worker
David Kutz
I think the best people to ask this about would be construction workers.... which I'm not. BUT I think construction workers would first of all need to know their geometry well, and everything about measuring and area and volume and such.
Then, you would probably need good grasp of percent and ratios... say maybe you're having to mix concrete, and you maybe need cement and sand and water in certain proportions in there...
And then, since construction work may involve all kinds of basic calculations, a construction worker probably needs to be able to do lots of mental math, and needs to be able to do rough estimates, as well as know how to do the exact calculations.
why do nurses study mathematics?
raizel magsalay
They need to know how to measure various things, understand metric system well with milliliters, milligrams, kilograms etc. They need to know how to calculate the right amount of medicine to give. Like for example, if you need to give 5mg of medicine per 10kg of body weight, then how much this person would need. Or, say 200mg of medicine as a tablet is equivalent to certain amount of the same stuff in liquid; then calculate how much is needed. They especially need to understand well decimal numbers and proportions.
I'm a bridge builder (carpenter) in San Diego, California who wishes I'd paid more attention in math class back when I was attending school. Every day now is a little bit of a math challenge. So in order to keep mt competitive edge in this high turn over industry I've desided to brush up on my math skills.
adrian chavira
what kind of maths do you need if you are a doctor? Is it the same as in nursing?
thanks
andy
Medical doctors need a solid understanding of chemistry to understand the workings of the human body and how medicines work, and for that, they need to know math well. Doctors also need logical thinking and be able to understand scientific writing and reasoning, and good math skills are essential for that as well.
All in all, to-be doctors should study all possible math courses in high school: algebra, geometry, trig, calculus, statistics.
what kind of
What jobs use pythagorean theorem? nessa
Check this link Jobs using Pythagorean Theorem from Math Careers Database. You can see it is various engineers, architects, surveyors, carpenters and other construction specialists, machinists, etc. Basically if you need triangles when designing things, then you need Pythagorean Theorem. Also if you're making big rectangles on land, such as when planning a building or farmland, Pythagorean Theorem is useful to know so you can check your 'rectangle' has right angles.
You'd be surprised at the level of mathematical expertise required in some "manual" jobs. I teach technical math at a community college, and constantly have students telling me they're using the trig and algebra concepts we're studying in class. One of the nicest things a student ever said to me is, "I do this stuff (meaning trig) in my machining class, but then I come here and I learn to understand it." When I taught technical math II, I was surprised at the sophistication of the course. Electrical technicians do lots of trig, vectors, complex numbers. The technical math sequence is not "easy". Never tell a student he won't need math in insert-profession-here. You just don't know.
February 2010 newsletter
