Contextual Learning Workshop
Dr. Chaney Mosley
June 3, 2015
Brainstorming Ideas ELA/math/science with CTE areas
Science/STEM
 Desirability differences in building materials
 Physics all +1
 How can we produce nuclear energy without
the radio-activity waste?
 Buoyancy of boats
 Develop estimate for prioritizing road and
bridge repairs in local area
 Design parachutes to maximize flight time
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Materials and doubling of computing capacity”
principle (mores law)
Bridge building exercise
Everything – design a better car safety restraint
Design new locker room for the use by boys and
girls
Investigate the use of products (wood, plastics,
metal) for the same use
Math/STEM
 Local calculations
 Stress loads
 Graph and analyze predator/prey populations in an ecosystem
 Voltage and ampage – digital electronics
measure energy/time save in automization of local factory
 Determine the equation for the load bearing capacity of the football stadium
ELA/STEM
 Different math estimating in different countries
 Technical writing
 Write same proposal for a prospective building
to kids (elementary)
 Writing style & tone across curriculum
 Persuasive speech how why one bridge design
is better than another
 ELAT/T writing techniques
 Science fiction unit apply to history current
society and future
 Write a limerick to explain a scientific principle
Science/Ag
 Life cycle of bugs in crops
 Yields in 2050 with a population of 9 Billion
 Pesticides
 Animal nutrition
 Seed production research
 Modify soil with different elements and test
growth of plants
 How do we grow crops with less water?
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Speech and communication giving
presentations about STEM curriculum
components
Role laying/script writing for STEM
Vocabulary work and using root knowledge for
understanding words
Process writing and problem solving
Write “technical” critique of a book/play
Presentation of one product/brand over
another (Nike vs new balance)
Read a book on time and rationalize the
possibilities
Bird flu impact on humans?
Correlate animal systems with human systems
Determine the impact of different fertilizers
Create a presentation of pros and cons of
Round-up ready see for the EPAA
Chemistry (pesticides)
Milking a cow and pasteurization “why” shelf
life what we eat
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Contextual Learning Workshop
Math/Ag
 Bushels per acre historically ( statistics)
 Chemical mixing/conversions
 Price of corn and ability to feed cattle
 Given current market prices of corn, determine
the side of field, see, fertilizer, etc. in order to
maximize profit = show work – formulas
 Compare profit per acre of different crops
taking into account fertilizer, water, herbicide,
and probability of losses
ELA/Ag
 Bean production in South America
 Dust bowl, common practices, grapes of wrath
 Animal farm
 Government grant writing
 Post-apocalyptic environment novels
 Vocabulary and context clues understanding
roots and connecting to it
ELA/IT
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Technical “how to” manuals
What if Picasso had photo shop software
Social interaction through history
History of computing
Reporting and presenting information
Web page development programming
languages
App development
Math/IT
 Moore’s Law (processing speed)
 Tabulate key strokes and create different types
of passwords
 Computer algorithms
 Research the history of the first computer and
its connections to mathematics
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Give them seeds and number of acres and they
design the planting
Current prices of ag land vs production
potential
Feed rations
How does the price of corn effect the economy
Use of food as fuel, clothing and food?
Economic value/impact
Read ag chemical safety sheets and write a plan
to follow then
Compare the dust bowl of the 30’s to the
drought today in California?
Write a fictional story about a controversial
organization topic to convey student
perspective, animal welfare or organic farming
Presentation on food exports to China
Book study
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Take a technical piece of write and create an
acrostic poem to remember process
Writing information for a webpage
Evaluating grammar on various web pages
Download free apps and have students use
them and write reviews
Same as increase with video game reviews
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Pixel conversions
Automaticity vs. silicon computation
Develop code for cyber security program
Binary system
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Contextual Learning Workshop
Science/IT
 Role of parallel supercomputers in particle
detectors (D-zero, CERN, etc.)
 Technology used in transplants
 Bionic man vision vs reality
 Compare the body systems to the internal
system of a computer
ELA/Marketing
 Construct a written marketing plan for a
product
 Marketing plan – grammar spelling
 Presentation for a business plan
 Art of persuasion - twitter/PPT/face to face
 Genres of writing and presentations
understanding how to write and produce for
specific audience
 Voice/audience writing for specifics
 Read the “tipping point” write a commercial
using marketing strategies and using a smart
phone, record it
Math/Marketing
 Economic principles and how they affect health
of business
 Data analysis of consumer product preferences
Cost analyses of marketing plan
 Market growth and saturation
 How does stock market effect money in Europe
 Calculating surveys in marketing effectiveness
Science/Marketing
 Psychology (brain structure) conduct research
to see if different marketing strategies are
actually effective
 Biology – connect how biological factors impact
an environment and how that impacts
consumer preferences related to food, clothing
and vehicles
 Climate change
 Develop a PR campaign on the effects of the
diet and health
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Batteries – test to see what conditions result in
lasting longer
AC/DC current - data transfer
Health organ rejection
Way to clean computers (drives) without
chemicals
Oral communication, presentation prep in
marketing
Entrepreneurship – start a business
Write a rap/poem to sell product
Secret millionaire club – build your own
business
Proposal writing – and presentations
Write a commercial using marketing strategies
and use a smart phone to record it
Marketing traditions in other countries
Design a consumer preference survey about a
topic of interest to students (sports, movie,
etc.) analyze results and apply stats
Design a store front visual display sing
geometric principles
Use geometry formulas to figure optimal
spacing of a graphic arts display
Design a persuasive ad using only math #’s and
digits
Design and market new energy drink
Design an ad using scientific evidence
Use of color with generations
Use experiment with melting gummy bears to
create a new color to market
Phycology of selling, what make someone buy?
How can we market alternative energy in oil
producing states?
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