Math in the News Daicoff
Algebra 2 2013-2014
Due Date: _________________________
This is your opportunity to read current events, think about the math in the article, and share
that with your classmates.
Find a recent article that contains math from a newspaper, an appropriate magazine or a
reliable website. (Not a catalog, not the sports section)
 Read the article
 Write 3 quality paragraphs (5+ sentences each) about the article including:
1. Summary of the article
2. Description of the math in the article
3. Your reaction to the article
 Include a bibliographic citation
 On a "Poster" combine your prepared work and the article
 If you wish to use technology instead of a “Poster”, see me ahead of time
 Your work will be placed on the wall, write your name on the back if you wish to
be anonymous to your readers
Other general comments:
 Neatness counts
 Black or blue ink or completed on computer (No pencil)
 Make it interesting
 Grammar and spelling counts
 No catalogs, no advertisements, no charts, or no sports
 Your article MUST contains text
 If you do not have access to a newspaper, ask early for assistance
 Counts as a Project Grade
 Plagiarism means no credit
Name & Date: ______________________
Description
Summary
Math Described
Your Reaction
Neatness/Appearance
Complete Article Attached
Citation
Possible
6
10
6
5
5
3
Total: 35
Earned
Stacking Up the Geometry
By An Example
In Dan Maginn’s article Dry-Stack Stone, he presents his journey into making a natural stone dry-stack retaining
wall. The author decided to replace his rotting railroad ties with a dry-stack wall made from stones weighing 60
pounds each. Knowledge is needed about variety of stones and their weathering processes. Physical ability is
essential, or a stone mason could be hired to complete the manual labor. Maginn suggests starting with a small
project to ensure success.
Standard retaining wall stones are 8 inches wide and 2-3 feet long. This made me wonder about the geometry
involved. I created a small sketch of a 3 level flower bed.
Partial view from front
View from Top
If each stone is 2 feet long, then the width of the flower bed is 2 feet x 5 stones, or 10 linear feet. The sides
would be 8 inches for the top side + 8 inches for the bottom side + 24 inches for the new stone, making a total
of 56 inches long, or just a little over 2.3 feet. The total perimeter then is 10+10+2.3+2.3, or 24.6 inches, just
over 2 feet long. The approximate size is 10 x 2 feet. If each layer needed 12 stones, then a total of 36 stones
would be required. A review of online resources, indicate that the approximate cost of each stone is in the $9$12 range. The cost of stone for this project would be around 36 x $10 or $360.
By comparing stonework to the top 10 favorite manmade places, Maginn asserts that his handiwork is similar in
its result or at least the impact on his psyche. I have made stone walls before from actual stone and it is a
significant undertaking – matching the shape, depth and width of each stone requires both artistic and
engineering skills that exceed the ability of a master Lego® builder. The construction with pre-cut material
would be significantly easier for the novice. This article provided an interesting emotional overview of the
process however, it left off the hours involved and the end cost. Also missing were suggestions about drainage
and stabilization. For me, that missing information would have taken the article to a level of credibility.
Article: Maginn, Dan. Dry-Stack Stone: A Labor or Love, The Kansas City Star, August 12, 2012, page C4