Decades Project 2015 – Math & Culture Component Susan Kolodny

Country & Decade Chosen:______

Project Presentation All parts of the Math Component are to be typed, printed, and presented in a report folder with a title page and bibliography. Any food prepared for the project should be nut free. Prepared food will be presented during class presentations, NOT during the Living Museum. This project is worth 150 points. Students are required to complete the first several components for 75 points. Then they must choose from the optional components in order to make up the final 75 points of the project. Components should be completed on the I-pad when possible.

Required Components = 75 points (out of 150 points total)

Title Page & Bibliography = 20 points Create a Title Page for the report that includes the following: Country and Decade, Student Name and Grade, Math Component 2015 Decades Project, Southern Highlands Preparatory School, Due Date. Create a typed Bibliography page to list all sources cited for all parts of math component. A minimum of five sources is required for this project. Use the MLA format introduced in Language Arts class.

Statistics Spreadsheet & Concluding Paragraph = 30 points Times change, and with them, statistics change. How do some general statistics of your country and decade compare and contrast with those of the current decade? Research some of the following (for then and now): *population *life expectancy *population density *median home price *average salary *unemployment rate *national debt *average years of education *average family size *crime / punishment rates *other statistics of your choice Using the Numbers application on your I-pad, create a spreadsheet that shows at least 10 pairs of statistics for your country comparing the researched decade to the current one. Consider what the numbers imply about the quality of life during each of the times. Include at least one concluding paragraph that describes the implications of the change from one time period to the other. **Option for 6th and 7th grade classes: Create a table or spreadsheet that compares and contrasts at least 10 current standard of living statistics from your chosen country to current stats of the United States.

Recipe and 2 Conversions = 25 points Find a recipe for a dish that could have been served in your country during the researched decade. Type a copy of the recipe, including the amount of each ingredient needed, the directions for its preparation, and the suggested number of servings. Include appropriate units of measure. Include a key to explain any unconventional measurements. What if you were to invite the whole class or the whole middle school over for a meal? Create a spreadsheet using the Numbers application on your I-pad that shows a series of conversions. Begin with a column that lists ingredients needed for 1 batch of your recipe and the number of servings it provides. Use a conversion factor to calculate the amount of each ingredient needed to serve a class of 24 people. Recalculate so that you have enough servings to feed the entire middle school (approximately 70+ servings, including teachers.) Make appropriate unit conversions as you increase the amounts of your ingredients.

Optional Components (Choose 3) = 75 points

Food Essay = 25 points Food plays a huge role in a person’s culture. Fresh foods available, storage options, religious beliefs, ethnicity, traditional preparations, food fads of the time: these can all play a role in the type of foods eaten by a group of people. Research the popular foods in your country and preparation methods of your decade. What do these foods and methods reveal about life in your chosen decade? What do they reveal about the culture? Type a newspaper article (4 - 5 paragraph essay) informing the reader on the role of food in a popular culture of your country and decade. Include at least 2 photos.

Menu = 25 points Create a 3-course menu that could represent a meal served during your decade. Include at least 2 choices for each course, as well as appropriate beverages. Assign prices for each offering or for the meal as a whole. Use monetary units appropriate for your time and country. Present your menu as it might have been seen at a restaurant (even if your menu reflects a home-cooked meal.) Include pictures and descriptions of each dish. Be sure to name your restaurant and to include a description of it on the menu.

Food Presentation & Preparation = 25 points Find a recipe for a dish that could have been served in your country during your chosen decade. Type a copy of the recipe, including the amount of each ingredient needed, the directions for its preparation, and the suggested number of servings. Include appropriate units of measure. Include a key to explain any unconventional measurements.

Prepare this dish. Make enough to share with each of your classmates. Bring plates, bowls, forks, spoons, as needed to serve your dish. Present your food to the class. Prepare a short speech (2 – 3 minutes) in which you explain why you chose this dish to represent your country and decade and how you prepared it. Letter to a Historical Figure = 25 points Now that you know more about a particular country and decade, would you want to live there during that time period? Or are you happy you were born in the United States during this current decade? Explain your answer in a letter (4 -5 paragraphs) to one of the important figures you have researched in other parts of your Decades project. Do your best to convince him or her that one time period is superior and suggest that he or she join you in visiting it. Be sure to state three or more of the statistics you have compared during your research, and make an analysis of those statistics in your letter. Place your letter in an unsealed envelope addressed to the historical figure. Include his/her name, title, country and decade, as well as a comparable return address for yourself.

Leisure Activities = 25 points What do you do for fun? Another important aspect of a culture is revealed by examining how a culture uses it’s free time. Research the popular leisure activities of the people in your country during your chosen decade. What sports, hobbies, arts, crafts, or entertainment options were popular during your chosen decade? Use the Pages application on your I-pad to create a flyer to advertise one of the most popular leisure activities of the time. Include at least two pictures and a typed detailed description of the activity (4 - 5 paragraphs). How or why did it become popular? How much did it cost? What age groups participated in it? Was it primarily a male or female activity? Is it still enjoyed today?

Travel Brochure = 25 points Create a tri-fold brochure to advertise travel to (or warn of the dangers of traveling to) your country during your chosen decade. Use the Pages application on your I-pad. Include at least 3 pictures and 1 map of your country. Find the exact location (latitude and longitude) of the capital city of your country. Describe the country’s climate, major landforms, and important waterways. Include travel advisories as they apply due to war, disease, famine, etc. What landmarks should visitors be sure to see? Include information on population density, pollution, and/or political stability. On the middle back folded cell, include your name, your country and decade. Fill all other cells with information on traveling to or avoiding your country.

Journal = 25 points Create a bound series of 5+ journal entries chronicling an important event that occurred in your country and decade OR following a group of endangered animals from that country. Each entry should include a date, an author’s name, a location, and a time, and should be at least one good, detailed paragraph in length. Include a picture or drawing with each entry. Inform the reader about the event, but also persuade the reader to believe the impact the event will make (or has already made) on the common man or on the plight of the endangered species.

Total points = 150 points Due Dates Mon, Apr 20: Statistics Spreadsheet & Concluding Paragraph due Mon, Apr 27: Recipe and Conversion Chart due Mon, May 4: First Option Math Component due Mon, May 11: Second Option Math Component due Fri, May 15: Final Math Project (all parts including Title Page and Bibliography) due Mon – Wed, May 18 – 20: Classroom Presentations (including Food Presentations) Thurs, May 21: Decades Museum 9:30 – 11:30 am

Math Exams: Wed and Thurs, May 27 & 28