Title
The Walkman (Liz Sansone)
Goals
Students will explore the concept of daily business activities and the large quantities of data needed to be organized.
Abstract
Students are asked to form groups and study Sony's production and external demand of walkmans. Each group is then asked to present and explain their method to the class.
Problem Statement
Discuss with your students the importance of a company's level of production (supply) meeting the level of demands and the consideration of all the "little strands" that make up the whole (i.e., production lines, etc.). This activity will allow students to study supply and demand and create a weighted digraph to represent the data. This could lead nicely into matrices.
Instructor Suggestions
1) Discuss "Problem Statement" from above with your students.
2) Decide on a method to have students form small groups
3) Distribute The Walkman activity sheet, also distribute a transparency and a marker to each group, one person needs to illustrate the groups' approach..
4) When the small groups are finished, have a spokesperson for each group share their method using the transparency that they prepared.
5) Discuss the students' work and discuss it's relation to matrices.
Materials
The Walkman activity sheet, transparencies, markers.
Time
Introduction (5 min.) small group work (20 min.), presentation of small group work and large group discussion (20 min.).
Mathematics Concepts
Discrete Mathematics Concepts
The Leontief Input-Output Model, matrices, weighted digraphs
Related Mathematics Concepts
supply and demand
NCTM Standards Addressed
Problem Solving, Communication, Reasoning, Connections, Algebra, Geometry, Discrete Math
Colorado Model Content Standards Addressed
Algebraic Techniques (2), Data Collection and Analysis (3), Problem Solving Techniques (5), Linking Concepts and Procedures (6)
Curriculum Integration
This activity could be integrated into a traditional or Integrated Algebra 1 class as the topics of matrices and/or data organization .is being introduced.
Further Investigation
Extend the problem by having Sony expand into a two-sector economy such as walkmans and portable CD players. The primary reason for such a merger is that the mechanics to a walkman are used in a portable CD player and vice versa. Then change the production requirements..
Variations/Comments
References/Resources
Crisler, N., Fisher, P., & Froelich, G. (199410. Discrete mathematics through applications. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.