I am preparing my last course of the year, Equations and Patterns (EQP), as my school breaks the year into 4 distinct classes each quarter. I am going to try to implement a few other changes to what I have done in previous years and I wanted to start first by looking at the final project. Below are the first two pages of the project that I usually run, I call it the “Carnival Project”:
The full project from last year includes two more games, but it is all based around the same context. Students have to develop a set of prizes and winning outcomes attached to those prizes that will allow them to earn the $1000 that they need for to raise money. The second game asks students to deign a game where participants roll two dice and have to guess a winner, and the third game will ask students to desing a game where participants spin 3 wheels and win prizes based on what the result is on all of the wheels (like a slot machine). One way I might change it is to maybe get rid of one game and add a new one. Another change I could make is just asking kids to talk more explicitly about how the participants in these games are similar to the patrons of a Casino. Either way, I have not shown this game outside of my school and would love any feedback that anyone would want to give me on it. This has been a pretty solid project, so I might not make many modifications, but I will give the first game to students much earlier instead of waiting to the end of the cycle. This is of course to move the final project into the Main Course instead of part of the Dessert Menu but also to allow me time to grade and give feedback about both the project and the students writing of the process. My dream scenario is that I will have things done sooner and then I can use some sort of technological tool to simulate a carnival where patrons have various tastes and students can try their games out and make adjustments. Also, if this is your first visit to my blog, welcome! Please look around, give comments, and ask questions. 4/30 #MTBoS30