Classroom Happenings: From Abstract to Tangible

“Making connections with math and things they see in their daily lives has a positive effect on students,” said Upper School Mathematics Teacher Jen Maitland. Those connections added up recently during a unit on quadratic functions and parabolas — concepts taught in Ms. Maitland’s Algebra 2 course. A quadratic function is a mathematical function in which the highest power of the variable is 2 (such as x2), and its graph is a parabola (a U-shaped curve). 

Math in the Natural World
Students were tasked to take a photo of a water fountain turned on to show a parabolic curve in nature. “They got creative with their fountains and chose to make a parabolic curve with water using a hose, their kitchen sink, or even decorative fountains at the mall!” said Ms. Maitland. After printing the photos, our young mathematicians created x- and y-axes directly on the photos, choosing the best points to represent the vertex (the maximum value or highest point on the parabola). 

Students then used learned concepts from writing quadratic functions to calculate the equation of the quadratic function that would match their photo. 

“They had to demonstrate knowledge of how to appropriately use different forms of the quadratic function,” said Ms. Maitland. “They used a Desmos Calculator (an online resource), a fantastic tool that can be used to verify their calculations by importing the photo to see if the calculated quadratic function can line up perfectly with the photo that they took.”

Creativity + Humor
While the project was mainly about quadratic functions and an exercise on accuracy between doing things by hand and verifying using an online tool, students had fun coming up with creative ideas on how to display their information. A beyond-the-textbook assignment such as this one is an example of some of Steward’s core values (innovation, inspiration, individuality, and academic achievement) in action. 

They showcased their work with clever titles and art, including “Para-bowl-a,” accompanied by a poster of cereal; “Coastal Curve,” with ocean-themed art; and “Parabloom,” embellished with a drawing of flowers. “The math presented on these projects was fantastic, and the creativity that went into the students’ work made my heart happy!” said Ms. Maitland. 

Layla Dwelle ’28 said the project was “a nice chance to combine the more analytical and inventive sides of my brain to produce a product I was proud of. My ‘Para-bulb-a’ poster included a light bulb with various puns, a light bulb shape, and fairy lights. The time and effort put into each cheesy parabola pun and poster board shined through every project.”

Problem Solvers
Navigating a math problem from start to finish helped students see how each feature of a quadratic function comes together. 

“Many math problems in textbooks include straightforward answers,” explained Ms. Maitland. “However, this assignment was rather messy, with large calculations, and no two quadratic functions were alike. It was an important practice that often required lots of troubleshooting to get the math to perfectly match what was shown on the Desmos Calculator.” 

Karsen Creager ’27, who photographed a water fountain in the Upper School hallway, said, “As a visual learner, I appreciated the hands-on project. This experience allowed me to take what we were learning in class through notes and textbook problems and apply it to a real scenario. It strengthened my knowledge and was fun and engaging.”

The students’ projects are on display throughout the Upper School … and, fittingly, in the hallway by the two water fountains!