Career in Math Project

Name________________________________
Period______

Date_________________

Goal: Students will use technology (Internet and e-mail) to research mathematics in careers in order to increase
their awareness and appreciation of mathematics in the real world.
Timeframe: The Careers in Mathematics project will be spread across a 3-week period. We will spend three
class periods in the computer lab to allow time for research and design. The portfolio will be put together
outside of class over a two-week period. These portfolios will be presented to the class.
Learner Outcomes:
Students will use established criteria to create a portfolio on a chosen career
Students will demonstrate through their portfolio an understanding of "real world" application of mathematics
Students will use creativity and several resources to gather and synthesize their research
Students will use technology as a research tool
Students will organize their research in an organized and appealing manner
Students will make an oral and visual presentation of their findings using established criteria
The Poster
Your duty is to make a poster containing information on one of many different jobs available to these talented
mathematicians.
Job Description
Choose a career that you may be interested in pursuing. Traditional sources of research are always available,
such as the job section in the newspaper, reference books in the library or search Web sites on the Internet for
ideas on different careers.
As you compile information there are items that must be included within your job description:
1.
What education is necessary? High school? College? Post Graduate?
2.
What math is used on the job?
3.
How is the math used?
Below are some possible sites to search on the Web.
Mathematical Sciences Career Information http://www.ams.org/careers/
Career Builder http://careerbuilder.com/
American Mathematical Society's -- Seeking Employment
http://www.ams.org/committee/profession/seeking_employment.html
Women in NASA http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/WON.html
Careers In Math and Statistics http://www.math.yorku.ca/Careers/menu.html
Career Center http://www.monster.com/
Math Fields and Applications (mathematicians in industry and government)
http://www.ams.org/careers/mathapps.html
Expected Salary
Prospective clients will certainly want to know what salary they can expect. Below are a few possible sites. A
better and more current source for salary information may be someone who is actually in the industry. When
you make contact with a professional in your interested career to interview, salary should be a topic you

address.
Job Smart
http://jobstar.org/index.php
Who is Hiring and Where are They?
What companies need talented mathematicians? Here are a few sites to explore.
The Monster Board
http://www.monster.com/
Find Your Employment Job
www.JobsOnline.net
Employment & Jobs
www.CareerBuilder.com/employment
Employment Outlook
What is the employment outlook for mathematicians? Are jobs available for professionals in your chosen
career?
Occupational Outlook Handbook
www.bls.gov/ooh/a-z-index.htm
Seeking Employment in Mathematical Sciences
http://www.ams.org/committee/profession/seeking_employment.html
O*NET OnLine
http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary
Personality Traits Best Suited for the Job
There has been a tremendous amount of research done recently on personalities and careers. A person spends 8
to 10 hours 5 to 7 days per week working. It might as well be at a job one enjoys. What personality traits are
best suited for the career you are researching? This may be an area in which library research may produce better
results than a Web Search. Below is one possible web site.
Careers Online
http://www.careersonline.com.au/disc/jia.html
O*NET OnLine
http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary
Bonus
Your boss has agreed to give you a bonus if you go above and beyond the call of duty and include a
mathematical problem that would be solved by someone in that occupation.
Evaluation
Your employer has established criteria by which you will be evaluated. The details are outlined in a rubric.
Good luck in your new position as an employment agent!

Poster Rubric

Basic Requirements

Exemplary

Good

11" x 14"
paper/(poster)<BR>
8-1/2 x 11 inch paper
(brochure). Brochure is a
tri-fold design.

Career Name

Exemplary

Career Description

Good

Math

Poor

Average

Below Average

Poor

The career name is

somewhere on the poster
or brochure.

The career name is missing

from the project.

Exemplary

Good

Average

Below Average

Poor

Project contains at least

four pictures, clip art, or
drawings related to the
career, and is creative,
colorful, and NEAT.

Project contains four

pictures, clip art, or
drawings related to the
career, and is neat.

Project contains three or

four pictures, clip art, or
drawings related to the
career, but is a little messy
looking.

Project contains two

picture, clip art, or drawing
related to the career, but is
a little messy looking.

It looks like you didn't even

put any effort into finding
appropriate pictures for this
project or it is much too
messy.

Exemplary

Good

Average

Below Average

Poor

The project gives a detailed

explanation of WHAT the
job does, numerous (4)
personality traits needed,
and why we need people
who do this job. How many
people are in this field in
the US?

Education Needed

Below Average

Poster is done on some

other size board than
specified.<BR>
<BR>
Brochure is not a tri-fold
design.

The career name is

promimently featured at the
top of poster or on the front
page of the brochure.
Visual Effects

Average

The project gives an

explanation of WHAT the
job does, some personality
traits, and why we need
people who do this job. The
information is incomplete.

The project is missing an

explanation of what the job
does, missing personality
traits, and why we need
people who do this job or
the explanations are
incorrect.

Exemplary

Good

Average

Below Average

Poor

The project gives detailed

information about the
education needed to hold
this type of job.

Some information is given

about the education
requirements to hold this
type of job, but is
incomplete.

Some information is given

about the education
requirements to hold this
type of job, but some of the
information is incorrect.

Most of the information

given about the education
requirements to hold this
type of job is incorrect.

No information is given
about the education
requirements to hold this
type of job.

Exemplary

Good

Average

Below Average

Poor

Lists 4 ways math is used

on the job.

Lists 3 ways math is used

on the job.

Lists 2 ways math is used

on the job.

Lists one way math is used

on the job.

Project is missing way math

is used on job, or the
information is incorrect.

Salary Range

Exemplary

Good

The project gives the salary

range of this type of career
(beginning and
experienced).

Sentence Structure

Average

Below Average

The project states a salary

but doesn't specify whether
it is for someone who is just
starting or who is
experienced in this field.

Poor
No salary information is
provided, or the information
is incorrect.

Exemplary

Good

Average

Below Average

Poor

No mistakes in proper
grammar usage,
punctuation, and spelling
throughout project.

One mistake in proper

grammar usage,
punctuation, and spelling
throughout project.

Two mistakes in proper

grammar usage,
punctuation, and spelling
throughout project.

Three mistakes in proper

grammar usage,
punctuation, and spelling
throughout project.

More than 3 mistakes in

proper grammar usage,
punctuation, and spelling
throughout project.