Introduction

What's the truth and who says so? In the old days (say just before you were born), people could read books, study, and feel pretty sure they knew what was going on. Then things started changing. We realized everyone had an opinion and if we listened, we could learn something. We also found that a lot of topics weren't separate, but connected to each other. So thinking in little boxes didn't work so well. Then along came the Web. Ah-oh... Because anyone can publish a Web page and passionate people tend to want to get their ideas out there, almost any interest, concern or issue has its online community.

Guess what: you're going to use the Web for learning. And grabbing someone else's ideas without giving them a close look is worse than silly. Think of it as intellectual slavery. So let's break the chains.

As a group you're going to explore the topic of exponential growth/decay. Each member of your team will become an expert in one part of the topic. Then you'll have to come back together to answer a question that gets to the heart of 'what's the truth and who says so?' We want you to do a good job, so why not read the evaluation rubric for this WebQuest?

The Question

The main question you will be asked to find an answer for is:

Ok, so here it is!! I am the President of the United States and have some money to spend. Your job is to research an area that impacts society and demonstrates some form of exponential growth or decay. You will need to persuade me to spend the money on your interest area and show me the math the American public needs to understand.

Background Information

Before becoming an expert on one aspect of this topic, we'd better make sure that everyone on your WebQuest team knows the basics. Use the links below to examine the difference between linear and exponential relationships. First print out the worksheet and then visit each link to gather your data. From the data, predict if the data is linear or exponential. Then graph the data and find the model of best fit using your graphing calculator. Did you predict correctly???

Invasive weeds

monthly payments

world population

Average heights

worksheets for growth

Individual Roles

Now that you have some overall background knowledge, it's time to return to the main question for this WebQuest. Questions this big and important are better answered when a few people are working on it at one time. Things work even better when a group of you decide to look at the question from different points of view. This way group members can become experts on an aspect of the question and then come together to demonstrate their learning. This is where team work pays off. So are you ready to go out and gather information to successfully lobby your cause?

Earthquaker

You need to convince the president to spend more money educating on earthquakes and helping people be prepared. There is a good problem on earthquake intensity in section 4.5 of the precalculus text. Here are just some of the many questions you could keep in the back of your head to guide your presentation:
1)How do scientists come up with the number on the Richter Scale?
2)Do you think we are 'due' for another large earthquake?
3)What are some of the hazards of quakes?
4)What could the government do to help prepare for a large earthquake?
5)Compare the intensity of some US Earthquakes from various areas of the Richter Scale and investigate the damage of each.

geology lab on virtual earthquake

work through the lab on line to determine the Richter Scale for your choice of earthquakes and compare your result to the actual one

Recent earthquakes with preparedness and hazard plans

Some good stats with probabilities and frequencies

Modified Mercalli Scale of Intensity

from FEMA, a good picture of how far out an earthquake reaches from it's epicenter

US list of earthquakes

a selection of info on largest US earthquakes with dates and measurements

Forest Protector

Your job is to convince the President to spend more money protecting the environment, specifically our forests. There is a good application in the precalculus book in section 4.1. Here are some of the many questions you could use to guide your presentation:

1)How have gypsy moths effected our forests?
2)Are these moths on the rise or decline?
3)Do they impact just our trees?
4)What can we learn from Canada?

forsetry

defoliation bar graph

great bar graph on recent outbreaks

gypsy moth impact on surroundings

abstract of a paper on forest defoliation

Sustainable Forest Management

A Canadain group created to look into aspects of forest preservation--does US need this

how gypsy moths effect water

gypsy moth insecticide spray

stats and glossary on amount of spray and danger to humans

gypsy moth page for pennsyslvania

Internet Controller

Your job is to convince the President to spend more money to insure the Internet is a safe and happy place. There is some good info in charts on the growth of the internet you could use your graphing calculator to analyze. Here are some of the many questions you could use to guide your presentation:
1)Is the Internet growing too rapidly?
2)Should we limit it?
3)What is currently going on in Congress to regulate the Internet?

internet stats on growth

great site but only until 1996

Mr. Wolinsky's data

info from the SRSD site from Mr. Wolinsky's research and book

News article on internet

from an ex-netscape executive in March 1999

Internet Development Act

1/3 tot pop online

predict 90% by 2001

Group Synthesis

Congratulations! Your team is now full of expertise. Each person on your team has become an expert on the topic of Exponentials. You've all gathered a lot of information. But guess what, gathering useful information isn't the same as truly understanding a topic. What experts in the field of learning suggest is that you now use that information in a new and challenging way. Then you'll really know about this topic.

So with your team members, carefully read and try to answer the main question for this WebQuest.

Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc you explored to convince your classmates that your viewpoint is important and shouldreceive the Presidential funding.

Before you feel like you are done, check out this assessment.

Real World Feedback:

Conclusion

At the beginning of this activity, you were asked about linear and exponential growths. Did you discover it? Did everyone in your group? How did you answer the main question for this WebQuest? Have you checked the evaluation rubric to guide what you did?

You deserve a lot of praise for all the work you've done. And so does your brain. You've sure put that gray stuff to the test. You gained background information, developed expertise in one particular area and got into some pretty expert analysis. At times, you must have felt confused with ideas spinning every which way. That's normal when you're building new mental connections. It's funny, with each link between what you already knew and the new learning going on, you broke another different kind of link, remember the intellectual slavery we spoke about earlier? You're free! How will you use these ideas and strategies as you continue to grow and learn? It's all up to you. Good luck.

created by Kathleen Haines email: khaines@srsd.org,kathih22@aol.com http://www.web-and-flow.com/members/khaines/exponents/webquest.htm