Parabola Application Project

For this project, you will use your knowledge of parabolic functions to indicate and
explain how parabolic functions are used in real-world applications. As a result, you should
begin to understand how some of the simplest functions in mathematics help shape the world we
live in today. In this project, you will be identifying three specific real-life application examples
of the use of parabolic functions, and explain how the use of parabolic functions allows for
optimization of these applications; to clarify, the application doesnt necessarily have be solely
based on discipline of mathematics.
If you would like to explore applications in science, programming, or history (as a few
examples), you are more than welcome to; however, you must be able to clearly identify specific
instances in where parabolic functions are used and still be able to explain the mathematics
behind the optimization. For example, suppose you want to talk about parabolic t.v satellite
dishes; you are more than welcome to explain the physics behind how the dished accumulate
light to create a signal, but you must clarify on how the curvature of the dish allows for this to
happen as well.
To present this project, there will be both a group and individual portion of this project:

Individual Portion: Research Paper

o Each student will be tasked with researching a specific example of a real-
life application of the use of parabolic functions
o Students will write a 2-4 page paper on the application that they choose
and explain the following:
Background of the application chosen (history, relevance to
society/nature, etc)
Describe the usefulness of the application to society/nature
(processes, instrumentation, design, etc)
Elaborate on how the application is useful to society/nature
today
Provide comparisons between the current application and
previous iterations of the application to demonstrate the
improved optimization/efficiency of the application.
Specify and describe the parabolic nature of the application, which
must include:
Created parabolic equations modeling the parabolic
functionality of the application
Created graphs of the parabolic equations to demonstrate
shape and further evidence of usefulness within the
application.
 Simulated/Real data attributed to the parabolic functionality
of the application (if able to obtain real data through paper,
online resources, etc.)
Provide argument in how the application could be further
optimized by use of evidence attributed to parabolic functionality.
Group Portion: Power Point Presentation
o Each group will contain at least three students (more if needed).
o Students will combine their research application together cohesively into a
PowerPoint presentation to be presented to the rest of the class.
o Students will verbally announce their findings and application, as well as
to answer class/teacher questions as needed.
o Each student in the group will be expected to know the information of
each application presented; therefore, the teacher is allowed to ask all
students within the group about a particular application.
o Presentation should not go past 15 minute mark for each group.

Research Paper Rubric:

Criteria Terrible Below Average Above Average Excellent
(0 pt) Average (2 (4 pt) (6 pt) (8 pt)
pt)
Background No Little Full Full background Full background
Information background background background information is information is
information information is info is presented, and presented, and
is presented presented, presented, but relevance of relevance of
in paper ,and is not relevance of background to background to
explained background society/nature is society/nature is
to slightly explained thoroughly explained
society/nature
not explained
Usefulness of No Slight Elaboration Elaboration of the Elaboration of the
Application elaboration of elaboration of of the usefulness of the usefulness of the
the the usefulness usefulness of application in application in
usefulness of of the the society/nature is found society/nature is fully
the application in application in with little comparison explained with
application in society/ society/nature made to other extensive comparisons
society/nature nature is is found; prior/outdated of other prior/outdated
is found. found. however, no applications to applications to
external demonstrate demonstrate the
comparisons optimization/efficiency. optimization/efficiency
of the of their chose
application to application.
prior/outdated
applications
are made
 Parabolic No evidence Partial Evidence of Evidence of parabolic Evidence of parabolic
Functionality of parabolic evidence of parabolic functionality is functionality is
functionality parabolic functionality presented in at least presented in all forms
is presented functionality is presented three forms of context of context correctly
in a form of is presented in in at least two correctly with with supporting
context at least one forms of supporting information information.
(verbal, form of context
numerical, context correctly with
symbolic, or correctly with supporting
graphical) supporting information.
with no information
explanation.
Optimization Student Student Student Student creates a very Student create a very
Argument doesnt attempts to attempts to articulate argument in articulate argument in
attempt to create an create an the further optimization the further
provide any argument to argument for of the application optimization of the
argument to further optimization through the context of application through the
further optimize the and provide parabolic functionality, context of parabolic
optimize the application, little but doesnt supply functionality, and
application but with no supporting enough supporting provides sustainable
supporting evidence in evidence to validate evidence to help
information to their claims their claims. validate their claims.
further
validate their
argument
Grammar and Paper show Paper shows Paper shows Paper show signs of Paper is fully
Punctuation no sign of no sign of signs of some some proofreading and proofread to a point of
proofreading, proofreading proofreading has no grammatical no further alterations
and is filled and has some and has some errors and there is no
with grammatical grammatical presence of
grammatical errors errors grammatical errors.
errors
Total ________/ 40

Power Point Presentation Rubric:

Criteria Terrible Below Average Above Average Excellent
(0 pt) Average (2 pt) (3 pt) (4 pt)
(1 pt)
PowerPoint No Power Power Point is Power Point is Power Point is Power Point is
Structure Point is provided, but provide, and provided, and provided, and
provided there is no some structure of structure is structure is easy to
definitive presentation is presented with understand in regards
structure to evident. some to flow/continuity
presentation continuity/flow
flaws
Verbal Student are Students are Students actively Students actively Students actively talk
Communication always somewhat talk about their talk about their about their findings,
prompted to prompted to findings, but findings, and and fully understand
talk about talk about their require lots of moderately and communicate
their findings findings help from group understand and their findings with no
during the during the members to communicate their help from group
presentation presentation communicate findings with little members
their findings help from group
effectively. members
Teamwork Students Students show Students are Students are Students are actively
show no some signs of actively actively cooperating to
signs of cooperation to cooperating to cooperating to perform presentation
cooperation perform perform perform to their full potential
amongst presentation to presentation to presentation to with no prompting
them to their full their full potential their full potential from teacher.
perform potential with with prompting with little
presentation prompting from teacher. prompting from
to their full from teacher teacher.
potential
even with
prompting
from teacher
Q/A Session Students Students can Students can Students can Students can answer
cannot answer answer questions answer questions questions presented
answer one questions presented by presented by by audience with no
questions presented by audience with audience with little help from teachers or
presented by audience with moderate help help from teacher other team members.
audience extensive help from teacher or or other team
correctly or from teacher other team members
to their best or other team members
ability. members
Grammar and Power Point Power Point Power Point Power Point show Power Point is fully
Punctuation show no sign shows no sign shows signs of signs of some proofread to a point
of of some proofreading and of no further
proofreading, proofreading proofreading and has no alterations and there
and is filled and has some has some grammatical errors is no presence of
with grammatical grammatical grammatical errors.
grammatical errors errors
errors
Total (__________/ 20) x 3 = _______/ 60