ERIC Number: EJ988761
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Sep
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0025-5769
EISSN: N/A
Three-Dimensional Printing: A Journey in Visualization
Poetzel, Adam; Muskin, Joseph; Munroe, Anne; Russell, Craig
Mathematics Teacher, v106 n2 p102-107 Sep 2012
Imagine high school students glued to computer screens--not playing video games but applying their mathematical knowledge of functions to the design of three-dimensional sculptures. Imagine these students engaging in rich discourse as they transform functions of their choosing to design unique creations. Now, imagine these students using three-dimensional printers to make their mathematical sculptures come into being as lasting artifacts of what they have accomplished in mathematics class. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, researchers and educators have successfully collaborated to turn this idea into reality. Using Mathematica[R] software, a data projector, a magnifying glass, a mirror, a liquid polymer, and about twenty dollars' worth of materials from a hardware store, students can apply their mathematical knowledge to designing and creating their own three-dimensional plastic sculptures. As students decide on the specific sculptures they wish to create, they engage in meaningful problem solving to determine which functions or inequalities will turn their mental images into real objects. (Contains 9 figures.)
Descriptors: High School Students, Secondary School Mathematics, Mathematics Education, College School Cooperation, Computer Peripherals, Cost Effectiveness, Sculpture, Plastics, Computer Software, Mathematics, Theory Practice Relationship, Visualization, Visual Aids
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1502. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-3702; Fax: 703-476-2970; e-mail: orders@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Illinois
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A