1. Theme: Linear Equations and Budget Optimization - The theme of this PBI unit entails using linear equations to create a design. The field experience planned extends the concepts inherent in this to optimizing a budget for printing the banner. For the final project, there are high expectations for not only creativity, but also practical financial sense. Since these students are competing with each other, they need to make their final banner stand out, to be unique. However, along with that they should also understand the real-world financial limitations of such an endeavor. If they are to convince the school officials to choose their banner, students must demonstrate that they have researched the costs associated with printing a banner.
2. Application: In this culture of Groupon deals and extreme couponing reality TV shows, making a particular budget work is important. At the very least, a little time invested in researching products can help determine what is worth it for the money and what is not. This field trip is intended to get your students thinking about the cost of the final product they are expected to create. Moreover, in the real-world of construction proposals, technology design proposals, or many other formal proposals, associated financial cost is always a significant factor, and is always to be given heavy consideration.
3. Location: Target Copy – There is one located on University and one on Archer. Optionally if this project were adapted for Mebane Middle School, there is a printing company called Alachua Printing that is located within walking distance. For the purposes of this assignment, I only researched the Target Copy printing facility. Although neither have had a group of students visit for an educational purpose such as this, we have one of two options for making it happen. The bookkeeper of the company, Pete Oetter, still has yet to officially approve of the visit. However, if (and when, hopefully) he does, groups (about 4 per group) for each project design will consult with an associate to gather prices for their desired product. If few associates are available, one associate may go over pricing costs with a whole group. He did suggest possibly sending out one representative to talk to the class as a whole or individually as groups instead, if the classroom field trip does not get approved.
4. Educational Resources: Unfortunately, the site does not offer a table of pricing or some other simplified method of calculating the cost of printing a particular banner. However, they will give you an estimate for whatever type of banner you are looking to create. Specifically, the determining factors of the printing cost estimate are dimensions of the banner, type of material used, whether it is in full color or black and white, and how close to the edge when printing.
5. Potential Educational Resources: It definitely makes for more of a realistic scenario since Target copy does not make public a pricing table for every different type of banner printed. Students will have to be the gatherers of information and basically create their own table. The two most basic types of materials printed on are their heavy-duty printing paper, which can then be laminated, and vinyl, which is suitable on its own for outdoor display. Students would need to compile questions for the copy center associates that would give them enough data for them to later create a scatter plot of the basic sizes in relation to their costs for each type of the two more popular materials. Comparing just a few prices, there seems to be a linear relationship to the area of the banner. Students would need classroom lessons on systems of linear equations before embarking on this field trip. It would be beneficial to review and/or teach creating scatter plots and fitting an equation to the line before visiting the copy center as well. Students should have enough experience with real-world problems involving systems of linear equations to find the area at which laminating beomes more expensive than vinyl or vice versa if that ever happens.
6. Rationale: Planning a wedding, choosing a car, or finding an apartment all require deciding between multiple vendors, brands, and/or locations. To efficiently compile and organize information in a suitable way for clear comparison is a valuable skill to acquire. In the real-world that information is usually not readily accessible, but rather you have to work for it. I chose this location because going there and talking to an associate is just part of the process of looking at the whole, and creating a comparison. Mathematics provides so many tools to make a sound decision, and this field trip is designed to glean that information to then work with mathematically.
7. Fieldtrip Protocol for Mebane: Alachua County Requirements – pre-approval from Principal is required. School Requirements – Pre-approval from the Principal (must be demonstrated how the field trip will enrich the curriculum), permission slips from the parents (teachers must send out permission slips in advance), and additionally, whatever the field trip may be, out of courtesy the teacher has to an extend an invitation to the entire grade.
Teacher/Classroom Requirements – Teacher must create a permission slip that includes cost, place, departure time and dress and hand it out in advance, parents wishing to chaperone and/or drive must test negative for TB, and if the entire class wishes to go, the teacher must arrange for buses or whatever other transportation is necessary.
8. Additional Costs – If the entire grade decides to go, school buses along with a drivers would need to be hired, which costs about $200 per bus plus the cost of the driver. Otherwise, there really are no additional costs.