Math modeling with Mrs. Burns is a challenging class to describe. Sometimes,
we learn new topics or review old ones through problem sets meant to encourage us to figure out the topic
for ourselves. The focus of this class is on the use of math to model real life and solve problems that
connect different areas of math. In order to do this, we complete Problem of the Weeks and participate in math
modeling competitions. While the actual content of math may vary, one thing remains the same throughout
the course, we collaborate and learn together. Scroll down to see some of the projects that we have done so far!
MTFC is a competition for high school students, which challenges them to
research and model a real world problem using actuarial science in order to define and mitigate risk.
Learn more about MTFC here! Participation in this competition is a
large part of our Math Modeling class and it allows us to work together in groups to create our own
project and model risks associated with a topic that we find interesting. My team, The Guys, is currently in the semifinals with our project. Read our proposal to find out more!
Epsilon School was our first modeling project of the year. We were tasked with helping the Epsilon School
of Mathematics and Science hire a maximum of seven teachers to keep the class distributions fair as the
number of students increased. We had to model the student to teacher ratios, the number of students per
class, and the number of students per subject. After creating our model, we had to defend it by making
a convincing argument that it is fair. We decided to hire two math teachers, one music teacher, one biology
teacher, one english teacher, one chemistry teacher, and one physics teacher. Read our slideshow to find out why!
