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Title: Engineering - a context for learning mathematics: the case of guitar fret spacing
An example of how middle-school engineering projects can be used as contexts for students’ exploration of previous and new mathematics topics is shared here. In this example, students algebraically determined where to place frets on the fretboard of a stringed instrument they were designing and along the way made use of a fractional exponent that was beyond what they experienced in prior courses. Students engaged in reasoning and problem solving, had extended meaningful discourse with each other, stayed motivated through productive struggle, and actively built new mathematical understandings from new experiences and prior mathematical knowledge.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1842342
PAR ID:
10394187
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Technology and engineering teacher
ISSN:
2158-0502
Page Range / eLocation ID:
14 - 19
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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