Brief History, Project Description, Acknowledgments

As a second Project, Mathematics Explorations II extends the work of Mathematics Explorations I and derives its inspiration from the same sources.

Dream: The first Project emerged from a desire to create exciting mathematics classroom materials based on NASA space activities. Ignition occurred with the realization that NASA harbored the dream's excitement.

Idea: Contact was made in 1989 with NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. The idea was to create learning materials based on NASA activities for use in two-year college mathematics classes. From the beginning, NASA supported the ideas embodied in the dream.

Coalition: This effort required the collaboration of several institutions each of which made a distinctive and indispensable contribution to the Project. The institutions represented mathematics, industry, and education.

AMATYC ^__ American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges

KSC ^__ Kennedy Space Center

CCTC ^__ Capital Community College

The National Science Foundation — Advanced Technological Education Program (NSF-ATE) funded the first Project (#DUE 9602456) in 1996.<> Work: During the next thirty months, ten teams of creative and talented two-year college mathematics faculty, after consultation with NASA Kennedy Space Center Scientists/Engineers, developed and wrote classroom materials. The materials were evaluated by secondary school, two-year college, and four-year college mathematics faculty; class-tested in two-year college mathematics classrooms; and reviewed by NASA Kennedy Space Center Scientists/Engineers.

Reality: In 1999, Mathematics Explorations I was placed on the Internet and published in hard copy. It took ten years for the dream to become reality. This was made possible by the coalition partners, their dedicated personnel, and the Team Writers.

A Dream Revisited: A second proposal was submitted to the NSF-ATE Program, and in 1998 a second grant was awarded (#DUE 9850244) to continue the successful work of Mathematics Explorations I (LTAs 1 — 10). The Grant Principals are again honored to be part of this Project and to present Mathematics Explorations II (LTAs 11 — 20).

Grant Principals
Prof John S. Pazdar Project Director Capital Community College
Prof Patricia L. Hirschy Project Principal Investigator Asnuntuck Community College	Prof Peter A. Wursthorn Project Principal Investigator Capital Community College
Asnuntuck Community College 170 Elm St Enfield CT 06082	Capital Community College 61 Woodland St Hartford CT 06105

The Project
(Mathematics Explorations I)
LTAs 1 - 10

Twenty, two-year college mathematics faculty (Writing Team Members) were selected from applicants representing AMATYC's nationwide membership.

Writing Team Members
Jeanne Bowman	Ed Chandler	Dennis Ebersole	Karen Gaines
Peg Greene	Johanna Halsey	Julie Hess	Paul Hess
Jerry Keepers	Marcella Laddon	Virginia Lee	Eric Leung
LuAnn Malik	Lynnell Matthews	Cyrus McCarter	Kathy Mowers
Brian Smith	Janet Tarjan	Mario Triola	Pete Wildman

These Participants were organized into ten Writing Teams. During the June 1997 Workshop at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, the Writing Teams, each paired with a NASA Scientist/Engineer, began the process of transforming technological applications into classroom materials — Laboratory Technical Activities (LTAs), Faculty Notes, and Spinoffs.

KSC Scientists/Engineers
Ric Adams	Seth Berkowitz	Dennis Chamberland
Randy Greeson	Marcia Groh-Hammond	Michael Haddad
Francis Merceret	Amanda Mitskevich	Reneé Ponik
Carlos Rodriguez	Eric Thaxton	Joe Voor

The science and technology of aeronautics and space are both the setting and the source for the learning materials created by the Writing Teams. The materials span the two-year college mathematics curriculum (prealgebra - calculus) and incorporate Mathematics Reform recommendations.

The Writing Teams continued to develop their materials through the summer and fall of 1997. The LTA drafts were evaluated for articulation purposes by representatives of secondary schools, two-year colleges, and four-year colleges. In the fall academic term, the LTAs were class-tested for further revision. The Writing Teams attended a 1997 Fall Workshop scheduled in Atlanta prior to the AMATYC National Conference to collectively review and evaluate the Project's accomplishments.

The Project Participants continued to revise and edit the materials during the spring and summer of 1998 in preparation for publication of this book in hard copy and on the Internet.

The Project
(Mathematics Explorations II)
LTAs 11 - 20

Fifteen, two-year college mathematics faculty (Writing Team Members) from the first Project and five new Writing Team Members were selected from AMATYC's nationwide membership.

Writing Team Members
Jeanne Bowman	Dennis Ebersole	Karen Gaines	Peg Greene
Johanna Halsey	Julie Hess	Paul Hess	Alice Kaseberg
Jerry Keepers	George King	Marlene Kovaly	Kathryn Kozak
Marcella Laddon	Virginia Lee	Cyrus McCarter	Chris Oehrlein
Brian Smith	Janet Tarjan	Mario Triola	Pete Wildman

Again, the Participants were organized into ten Writing Teams. During the June 1998 Workshop at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, the Writing Teams, each paired with a NASA Scientist/Engineer, began the process of transforming technological applications into classroom materials — Laboratory Technical Activities (LTAs 11 — 20), Faculty Notes, and Spinoffs.

KSC Scientists/Engineers
Catherine Alexander	Sherri Carlson	Dennis Chamberland
Tom Dreschel	Tom Elam	Kristine Kennedy
Gus Koerner	Donny Linton	Janet Rebmann
Krista Shaffer	Eric Thaxton	Raymond Wheeler

The science and technology of aeronautics and space are both the setting and the source for the learning materials created by the Writing Teams. The materials span the two-year college mathematics curriculum (prealgebra - calculus) and incorporate Mathematics Reform recommendations.

The Writing Teams continued to develop their materials through the summer and fall of 1998. The LTA drafts were evaluated for articulation purposes by representatives of secondary schools and four-year colleges. In the fall academic term, the LTAs were class-tested for further revision.

The Project Participants continued to revise and edit the materials during 1999 in preparation for publication of this book on the Internet.

You may have noticed that our colleges' names and our projects' Web site have changed.
As of January 1, 2000 Capital Community-Technical College, Mathematics Explorations I Web Page (cctc.commnet.edu/LTA), and Asnuntuck Community-Technical College	has been changed to Capital Community College, Mathematics Explorations I & II Web Page (ccc.commnet.edu/LTA), and Asnuntuck Community College

Thank You
(Mathematics Explorations I)

From the beginning of this Project, Frank Owens, NASA Education Division Director, and Wanda Garner, AMATYC President (1995 — 1997) and Project Advisory Board Member, were very supportive. Both of these educators had a vision for bettering mathematics education; both embraced the concepts and goals of the Project. With their endorsements this Project was able to move forward.

Since NASA is such a large and complex organization, the Project decided to focus on technological endeavors at the Kennedy Space Center. Gregg Buckingham, University Programs Manager and Project Advisory Board Member, provided the Project with invaluable support during the three year grant period. As the Project proceeded, Jane Hodges, Kennedy Space Center University Programs Specialist, became involved and supported the Project until its completion. The various Staff Members from all the Kennedy Space Center's divisions that worked with us provided invaluable support during this Project.

Kennedy Space Center Headquarters
AMATYC's Executive Board, Committees, Affiliates, and Office Staff Members were also instrumental in moving this Project forward. With their support we were able to open the Project to all AMATYC members who were full time faculty at two-year colleges and to offer them the opportunity to participate in the Project. Also, AMATYC played a key role in disseminating the Project by providing mailing lists and by providing time at its National Conference for presenting the Project.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center Scientists/Engineers and AMATYC's Writing Team Members provided the opportunity for professionals from an industrial culture and an educational culture to develop materials that reflect the ideas and concepts of the Mathematical Reform Movement.

At Capital Community College, Ira Rubenzahl, President, Barbara Douglass, Academic Dean, John Arlauskas, Dean of Administration, and Rama Chaturvedi, Science/Mathematics Department Chairperson and Project Advisory Board Chairperson, supported the Project enthusiastically. Their support filtered throughout the College and everyone involved was extremely helpful.

This Project was made possible and enriched by the talent and unstinting support of personnel from the following College Departments: Media Services, Business Office, Personnel Office, Computer Services, Library, Science/Mathematics, Web Master, and Public Relations. While it would be impossible to list all who participated, our sincere thanks goes out to everyone at CCTC who helped move this Project through a maze of paperwork and production to completion.

A special thank you goes to President Harvey Irlen and Academic Dean Robert Winston, (Asnuntuck Community-Technical College) for supporting Prof Patricia Hirschy on this Project.

The Project Participants would like to thank Texas Instruments for their provision of the Calculators and CBL equipment during our Summer Workshop. The Project participants would like to thank the following Computer Software Companies for loaning us copies of their software programs during the Summer Workshop: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company (Scientific Notebook®), Design Science Inc. (MathType®), Soft Warehouse (Derive®), Waterloo Maple Inc. (Maple®).

The Project Participants would like to thank all of the Secondary School, Two-Year College, and Four-Year College Evaluator/Articulators who provided evaluations of the 1st LTA Drafts, and all of the Two-Year College Class-Testers who class tested the 2nd LTA Drafts.

The Project Principals would like to thank the NSF Staff for their time and energy in guiding us toward the Project Goals.

Finally, the Families of the Project Participants deserve our gratitude. The time and energy the Participants gave to this Project was removed from their family life, but it was time and energy that will give students of mathematics a chance to become part of a movement that is changing the face of American Education.

Thank you all, John, Pat, and Peter

Thank You
(Mathematics Explorations II)

Frank Owens, NASA Education Division Director, and Sadie Bragg, AMATYC President (1997 — 1999) and Project Advisory Board Member, were very supportive of a second proposal to NSF—ATE. Their support provided recognition that the first Project offered value to the two-year college education community.

As the second Project got underway, Jane Hodges, Kennedy Space Center University Programs Specialist, continued her support by providing the necessary start-up services. Gregg Buckingham, University Programs Manager, continued to serve as a Project Advisory Board Member and he provided the support required to complete this Project in a two year period.

At Capital Community College (CCC), Ira Rubenzahl, President, Barbara Douglass, Academic Dean, John Arlauskas, Dean of Administration, and Rama Chaturvedi, Science/Mathematics Department Chairperson and Project Advisory Board Chairperson, continued their enthusiastic support of the Project. Again, their support filtered throughout the College and everyone involved was extremely helpful.

As with the first Project, this second Project was made possible by the talent and unstinting support of personnel from the following College Departments: Media Services, Business Office, Personnel Office, Computer Services, Library, Science/Mathematics, Web Master, and Public Relations. While it would be impossible to list all who participated, our sincere thanks goes out to everyone at CCC who helped move this Project through a maze of paperwork and production to completion.

For the second time, a special thank you goes to President Harvey Irlen and Academic Dean Robert Winston, (Asnuntuck Community College) for supporting Prof Patricia Hirschy on this Project.

The Project Participants would like to thank Texas Instruments for providing the Calculators and CBL equipment during our Summer Workshop. The Project participants would like to thank the following Computer Software Companies for loaning us copies of their software programs during the Summer Workshop: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company (Scientific Notebook™), Design Science Inc. (MathType™), Soft Warehouse (Derive™).

The Project Participants would like to thank all of the Secondary School and Four-Year College Evaluator/Articulators who provided evaluations of the 1st LTA Drafts, and all of the Two-Year College Class-Testers who class tested the 2nd LTA Drafts.

The Project Principals would again like to thank the NSF Staff for their time and energy in guiding us toward the Project Goals.

The Families of the Project Participants deserve our gratitude as they did for the first Project. The time and energy the Participants gave to these Projects was removed from their family life, but it was time and energy that will give students of mathematics a chance to become part of a movement that is changing the face of American Education.

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Thank you all, John, Pat, and Peter

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Message to Faculty

Main Table of Contents

Contents by Math Course Content

Contents by Relevant Technologies

NASA - AMATYC - NSF