The reports assigned in this unit are crucial components of the evaluation for this unit. They will require the student to describe in detail how they determined the model for a specific set of data, and then how they analyzed multiple sets of data to draw conclusions about the connections between the symbolic and mathematical models.

Report Details

For each data set, students will complete an individual structured analysis of the mathematical model they determine. A report form and grading rubric are provided.

In a separate report, each group will combine information from the appropriate models and communicate their conclusions about how a symbolic model parameter (that was the varying parameter in their collection of data) determines the parameters of the mathematical model. A report form and grading rubric are provided.

The teacher should be monitoring the actual Excel modeling and the production of the reports. The model connections report will be submitted to the cooperating physics class as well as the teacher.

Unit Assessment

A summative evaluation will consist of an assessment where each student will be supplied with a new data set (download data sets here) for which they will determine (using Excel) a mathematical model and describe the process they used. They will fill out a report and print out or show the teacher the Excel output. In addition, a more structured exam will require students to construct a graph of a sine curve from a mathematical model and, as learned in this unit, determine a model given a graph of a sine curve. This will reinforce the connection between the two representations and the ability to work in either direction- mathematical model to graph or graph to mathematical model. A day of wrapping up loose ends and additional practice before this evaluation may be useful.

Alternative assessments could include:

• Assigning a final report where the student will discuss the process of determining the mathematical models and how connections were made between the mathematical and symbolic models.
• Group presentations of model connection reports. Students can use computer resources to create presentation materials and include the output from the Excel modeling tool. It is recommended that these presentations be given to the cooperating physics class.