PARTNERING WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: AN EXPERIENCE IN LINKING MATHEMATICAL MODELING, SCIENCE, AND HISTORY THROUGH THE KEWEENAW HISTORICAL NATIONAL PARK

The Michigan Teaching Excellence Program (MiTEP) has encouraged a process of improving STEM education through learner-centered teaching methods that emphasize the integration of science and mathematics. The Keweenaw National Historical Park adds in a social sciences dimension, incorporating the population history of the mining community, including the rise and decline of towns and cities in the upper peninsula of Michigan, immigration patterns in the 19^th century, and the decisions made by corporate directors who are located far from the locus of employment for their company.

Engagement of students in mathematical tasks is one strategy to improve outcomes for high school achievement. In Grand Rapids, many of our students are new immigrants, with a history of mobility and transience. These students can engage emotionally with the stories of immigration, as well as with the impermanence of employment, the exploitation of natural resources, and the decisions made by distant corporate owners. Because the numerical story is of short duration, the mathematical presentation and models are accessible to students at the middle and high school level, incorporating objectives from the Common Core Curriculum, including the eight mathematical practices which underlie the Curriculum.

The development of accessible projects as tasks that incorporate Earth Science, Social Science, Technology, and Mathematics, encourages input from interdisciplinary teaching staff within our community, to provide a more integrated learning experience to our middle and high school students. Students will develop a stronger sense of their environment and their impact on Earth systems.