Shaking Up Pre-Calculus - Incorporating Engineering into K-12 Curricula

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Terk

Projects in high school STEM have boosted interest in engineering fields and strengthened understanding of mathematics and science. The Science and Technology Enhancement Program (Project STEP), supported by an NSF GK-12 grant, developed and deployed a pre-calculus lesson. “Shaking Up Pre-Calculus” applies trigonometry functions to analyze Earthquake Engineering vibration behavior, using inquiry-based design to raise engagement and meet standards. The article presents lesson objectives, standards, assessments, results, student feedback, and participant reflections.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Survey

Shaking Up Pre-Calculus Lesson Overview

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SUMMER 2014 Shaking Up Pre-Calculus: Incorporating Engineering into K-12 Curricula CHELSEA SABO University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK ANDREA BURROWS University of Wyoming Laramie, WY AND LOIS CHILDERS Seton High School Cincinnati, OH ABSTRACT Projects highlighting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in high schools have promoted student interest in engineering-related fields and enhanced student understanding of mathematics and science concepts. The Science and Technology Enhancement Program (Project STEP), funded by a NSF GK-12 grant at the University of Cincinnati, is one community partnership that focused on improving STEM skills and communication. As a product of Project STEP, a lesson was developed and implemented in a local Cincinnati high school classroom on applying Trigonometry functions in pre-calculus to the study of Earthquake Engineering vibrations. This lesson, Shaking Up Pre-Calculus, shows that student involvement, understanding of the material, and interest in engineering can all be enhanced through innovative educational practices. Moreover, inquiry based lessons of this type can easily be made to meet educational standards and be incorporated into existing curricula. An overview, objectives, standards addressed, and assessments of the lesson are presented here in detail. Additionally, assessment results, student feedback, and reflections from the program participants are offered. Key Words: Project-Based Learning; Active Learning, Earthquake Engineering, Pre-Calculus SUMMER 2014 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Shaking Up Pre-Calculus: Incorporating Engineering into K-12 Curricula INTRODUCTION Education Week reported, “. . . science classes are more likely [than math . . . to](than math . . . to) have a heavy emphasis on increasing students’ interest in the subject. However in both subjects, that objective is less emphasized in high school than at earlier grades”(Robelen, 2013, para. 14) . Therefore, a study of high school STEM interest is timely. As part of a National Science Foundation Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education Program (NSF GK-12) grant, entitled Science and Technology Enhancement Program (Project STEP), graduate engineering students at the University of Cincinnati merged into high school classrooms for at least 10 hours a week for a full academic year (Project STEP, 2010) . The graduate engineering students created and implemented high school lessons trying to increase high school student interest in STEM. This grant was an example of successful partnerships between high school teachers, high school students, university students, and university faculty members. The GK-12 grant was set up to enhance graduate engineering student communication of technical knowledge to a non-technical audience and to encourage collaboration between future faculty members and K-12 institutions. However, strong STEM lessons for use by middle and high school STEM teachers were a product of these partnerships. While Project STEP finished its 11th and final year at the University of Cincinnati in 2012, all of the STEM lessons that were created over the course of the program are available to the public for free on the website ( [http://www.eng. uc.edu/step](http://www.eng. uc.edu/step)) . This article describes and discusses the impact of one high school lesson, called Shaking Up PreCalculus, created by Chelsea Sabo, influenced by Lois Childers, modified by Andrea Burrows, and critiqued by Richard Miller. As a part of Project STEP, the high school teacher, Lois Childers, and the then graduate engineering student, Chelsea Sabo, worked together to create, implement, and evaluate lessons that brought engineering content to the all female student body at Seton High School in Cincinnati, OH. Ultimately, these Project STEP lessons

FAQs

What is the main purpose of “Shaking Up Pre-Calculus”?

To incorporate engineering concepts into pre-calculus by using trigonometry functions to study Earthquake Engineering vibration behavior, thereby increasing student engagement and understanding.

How did Project STEP support the lesson’s development and implementation?

Project STEP, funded through an NSF GK-12 grant at the University of Cincinnati, created and implemented STEM lessons in high school classrooms through a community partnership model.

What elements of the lesson does the article intend to document?

The article describes an overview, objectives, standards addressed, assessments, and also shares assessment results, student feedback, and reflections from program participants.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Terk