Projects

UPDATE 3/3/12 — TIME TO FINALIZE YOUR PROJECT IDEA!
If you have indicated your interest below, your next step is to write a detailed description of your project (see the calendar below for more details on your project description).  Technically this is due today, but I will let you have until next week, March 10th.  If you’ve expressed your interest but you still don’t have a project idea, here are your options:

  • Send me a unique, creative, math-related project idea (110 points possible)
  • Check out some of the videos on this page (or elsewhere on this site).  There are lots and lots of ideas here — if one of them catches your attention, and you’d like to learn more about it as your project, let me know (100 points possible).
  • If you would like to create a resource for future students, I am open to this as a project.  I would ask you to choose one topic from the course and create a page (or post) on this website about it.  The page would include an explanation of the topic, a few examples, and links to videos or other resources on the web related to the topic.  Let me know what topic you are interested int (100 points possible).

From the Course Policies:

Bonus Points.  Interested in doing a project for bonus points? We may be able to work something out – send me an email or come talk to me during office hours in the first few weeks of the semester.

This page provides more detailed information on the project, including a timeline of important dates.  It is your responsibility to meet each of the deadlines below — missed deadlines may result in loss of points, or rejection of your project.

What’s the commitment?  You are expected to spend 1-2 hours per week working on your project (this should include completion of all of the tasks listed below).

What’s it worth?  I haven’t worked out the point assignment details, but a project earning full points will improve your overall grade in the class by about 5%.  Project earning less than the full number of points will still help improve your grade.

Project timeline

Declare your intentions/Brainstorm project ideas.  January 30 – February 25.    Post a comment on this page indicating that you would like to complete a project, and include three different project ideas.  You must do this whether or not you have communicated with me previously about a project.  If you wish, you can post a comment right away saying you want to do a project, and edit the comment later (before February 25th) to include your project ideas.  You may use the book and the internet for inspiration.  The most points will be awarded for original, creative projects, preferably relating something in the course to some other part of your life (your interests, job, home, background, etc.).  Your project must have a written component as well as some other kind of hands-on component (examples:  create a short video, give a presentation, write a song, create a virtual world, create a poster, etc.).

Finalize your project idea.  February 25 – March 3.  Work with Professor Reitz either by email or in person to finalize your project idea.  Submit a detailed description of your project at the bottom of this page, and begin work.

Project Description.  Due March 10.  Your project description should be completed after  Professor Reitz approves your project idea.  It should be 1-2 paragraphs, and should include (at a minimum) the following information:  What is your project about?  Describe it in your own words.  What math topic is is related to?  What will you actually do over the course of your project (research, experiment, build something, write something, etc)?  What will you produce at the end of your project (a paper, a web page, a video, etc)?

BiWeekly Progress Reports 1-3.  Due March 17, March 31, April 14 (every second Saturday March 17 – April 14).  Progress reports should be posted in the Course Profile / Discussion area (click Course Profile at the top left of this page, then select Discussion from the menu on the right), in response to the appropriate topic.  Look for a topic titled something like “Project Progress Report 1: March 17”.  Post a brief but detailed description of what action you have taken over the past two weeks on your project.  You are expected to spend 1-2 hours per week on your project — let me know what you did!  For example “I read pages 35-39 of this book, which was about finding the volumes of solids of rotation.  I don’t understand the formula on page 38.  I also researched on the internet locations in which to perform an experiment for my project, and found the following locations: etc.

Midsemester meeting.  March 26 – 30.  Schedule a meeting with Professor Reitz this week to update him on your progress.  Come prepared to discuss what you have completed so far.  Bring at least two questions to the meeting — either things you are stuck on, or things you would like to learn before the end of the project.  Show him your work so far (you must have completed something, even if it is primarily scratch work and research).

First Draft due.  Friday, April 20th.  First draft of your written component, and first look at your hands-on component due.

Final Draft due. Friday, May 11th. Final draft of your written component and hands-on component due.

20 Responses to Projects

  1. Maisa1491 says:

    I’m interested in the project. – Maisa

  2. Maisa1491 says:

    Oh, but i have no idea what to do it on . i work better with choices and ideas. Thank you.

  3. I’m interested – Justin Marquez

    • Jonas Reitz says:

      Hi Justin,

      That’s fine — now you need to come up with some ideas. If you’re having a hard time getting started, maybe check out some of the videos from “Doodling in Math Class”, here:
      http://vihart.com/doodling/
      You could also check out some of her other videos, on her blog here:
      http://vihart.com/

      Watch two or three of them — see if anything catches your attention. Anything intrigue you? Write back, and tell me what you find.

      • i’ve sent you my topic. For the programs, i use reason 5 and logic together making the track is not a problem because i’m in the studio every week . reason is a great program for this because all of the samplers and synthesizers use some sort of math ether subtracting on adding on the octave scale x,y plotting to increase effects and change the sound .

        • Jonas Reitz says:

          This sounds promising — your project is (tentatively) approved. Write down a project description and submit by March 10th (see the calendar above for details on the Project Description). Your description doesn’t have to include every detail of your project, but you should include at least one specific example of how you might use math in either reason or logic (give me details!).

  4. mzraza says:

    I’m interested but have no idea what to do it on, can you give me some ideas, maybe some that people ended up not choosing. Thanks -Raza-

    • Jonas Reitz says:

      Take a look at the links I posted above (Doodling in Math Class, etc) — if you want to make sure you are doing something unique, take a look around her blog and look at some of her other videos as well, there are quite a few.

  5. aubrina halley says:

    Im interested in doing a project, is it too late? might have an idea from that math doodling site

  6. brina92 says:

    Im interested in doing a project, is it too late? might have an idea from that math doodling site

  7. I can’t come up with anything :/ ..help

  8. Jonas Reitz says:

    Hi everybody — for those still looking for project ideas, check out my suggestions at the top of the page. Be aware the Project Description is due March 10th (details can be found in the calendar section above).
    Mr. Reitz

  9. mzraza says:

    Hey Mr.Reitz, can I do the “Sick Number Games”, its seems interesting, but also confusing…wanted to know if I can do something with that, Thanks

    • Jonas Reitz says:

      Hi Raza,

      I like this video, too! Your project idea is fine, but there are a number of different directions you could take it, so we need to narrow it down a little.

      Do this: watch the video again, making a note of which ideas seem most interesting to you.

      Your next step is to arrange a time to meet with me — it could be in my office hours, or another time — so we can discuss the details and next steps. Please send me an email jreitz@citytech.cuny.edu and let me know when you are available to meet.

      Thanks,
      Mr. Reitz

  10. brina92 says:

    This is my project description. My idea is to create a family tree, but using numbers. Just as real family tree starting from an ancestor then branching out to each other relative, same with a number. for ex 24, 6, 2&3. I think it touches on the topics grouping and factoring, with basic math like mutiplication, division and prime factors. I’ll do research, reasoning and other math sources to figure how to expand the tree of numbers, and find numbers that work. At the end of project the tree will be on a poster of construction paper, or poster board I’ll submit.

    • Jonas Reitz says:

      Hi Aubrina,

      This is fine idea — I like it! I’m still not 100% clear on the details, but we can work that out when we meet.

      Your next step is to arrange a time to meet with me — it could be in my office hours, or another time — so we can discuss the details and next steps. Please send me an email jreitz@citytech.cuny.edu and let me know when you are available to meet.

      Thanks,
      Mr. Reitz

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