Ep 70: Using the Election in Math Class: Engage Students with Real-World Data

Modern Math Teacher

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In this episode of The Modern Math Teacher, we’re talking about how you can make math relevant and exciting by integrating election data into your algebra lessons. With the upcoming 2024 election, there’s no better time to show students how mathematical concepts can be used to analyze voter turnout trends and make predictions. I’ll walk you through the Election 2024 Math Project—a project-based learning experience that gets students working with real data, calculating statistics, and modeling outcomes. By the end of this episode, you’ll have the tools and strategies to engage your students in critical thinking about the math behind elections, all while hitting key Common Core standards.

Key Takeaways:

• Why Election Data Matters in Math Class: Learn how incorporating election data into your lessons makes math relevant and cross-curricular.
• Using Statistics to Explore Voter Turnout: Explore how students can calculate voter turnout trends by age group and other demographics, using mean, median, standard deviation, and more.
• Modeling Data for Future Predictions: Discover how students can use real data to predict future election outcomes using normal distribution and other algebraic concepts.
• Ready-to-Use Resources: Learn about the student handouts, step-by-step instructions, and data analysis tools included in the Election 2024 Math Project.
• Tech Tools to Support the Project: Tips on using Google Sheets, Desmos, and other tools to help students model and visualize their data.

Resources Mentioned:

• 🇺🇸Election 2024 Math Project (available two ways!)
  • Inside the Membership: projectbasedmathclass.com or
  • At TpT Election 2024 Project
• Google Sheets
• Desmos

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More About the Modern Math Teacher Podcast

Kristen Moore, classroom teacher and instructional coach at Moore Than Just X, empowers modern secondary math teachers to transform the student experience with the strategies and the confidence to implement project-based learning, mastery-based assessment, and student engagement strategies in their classrooms.

Whether you're a math education newbie or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something new and inspiring in every episode. You’re already a listener, why not join the Movement inside ✨The Modern Math Teachers Movement Facebook group. Join the community of math teachers who are not afraid to shake things up and make math class the best part of the day for our students. So tune in each Tuesday, have some fun, and let's elevate our math teaching game together!
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