Last modified 1/24/00
One of the most fun aspects of this course is the opportunity to connect your own interests to mathematics. One way you do this is by giving a commercial. The commercials can be spoken, as a break in class, or written, in which case I post them on the web (assuming they are written reasonably well).
The reason this is called a commercial is because your goal is to convince your classmates that your topic and the ways math is connected to it are interesting. Your tone (written or spoken) should be conversational and persuasive, rather than formal and wooden. You get to talk about what you find interesting about it in the process of telling us about it, rather than simply disseminating information.
Please feel free to spice it up, as advertisers do. If it would benefit from visuals, prepare a poster (for an in-class commercial), or include a drawing or a picture (for a written commercial). In-class commercials can also really benefit from slides, videos, computer displays, and music. For that matter, if you'd like to present it while dancing, go for it. We can always scan in pictures (or if you're very ambitious, you and the KACC might be able to work out audio or video) for the web versions of the written commercials, so be creative.
I have broken the commercial preparation process down into a bunch of steps, to help everyone (both the audience and the commercial-giver) have a positive experience. (This commercial is a significant portion of your grade, and this helps avoid unpleasant surprises.)
The in-class commercials are more fun to do, offer more variety in approach, and give your fellow students a good break. The only really compelling reasons for choosing to do a print commercial are either that you don't plan on putting much effort into it (in which case, we'd all appreciate it if you write a paper instead) or that when you go to sign up for a date, all the possible commercial days are gone. Please don't choose to do a print commercial simply because you are uncomfortable speaking in public--most of us are, after all. We can come up with techniques to minimize the pain, and public speaking is an important skill to have!Decide by 2/7The spoken commercials may be done from 3/20 to 5/5. The print commercials may be turned in from 3/20 to 4/7.
There will be two sign-up sheets, one for written commercials and one for oral commercials. Make sure you sign up for the one you really want to do. You do not have to have chosen a topic when you sign up!Sign up: 2/7. Deadline: 2/11
Your topic can be almost anything--something you enjoy, find interesting, care about, and would feel comfortable talking about. Choose it regardless of whether you can see any connection between your topic and mathematics. Your topic could be something related to your major, a controversial issue or cause that you feel strongly about, a food you love, a favorite activity of yours, etc. Do not choose your topic because you can see a connection between it and mathematics. Those topics are often the least interesting! I have lots of ideas. You can click here to see a short list of a few possible topics--please don't feel constrained to pick from this list! If you can't think of an idea, come talk to me.Submit your topic to me: No later than 2 weeks before the date you signed up for. \newline Penalty for late topic: 2 points per day
Consult with me early and often! Even if you've figured out a math connection, I'm interested, and I might be able to add some additional connections. The best connections are often the least obvious. The ideal situation, of course, is if you can learn new math in the process. Even if we can't figure out a way for you to do that, there are often unsuspected and fascinating ways that math is connected for you to explore. No later than 1 week before your due date, you should turn in a paragraph or so (an abstract) discussing the connections you've found so far, and your general overall ideas on how your commercial will be formulated. Note: Based on the abstract, I may suggest you switch formats from oral to written or from written to oral.Turn in abstract: No later than 1 week before the date you signed up for. \newline Penalty for late abstract: 3 points per day\newline
If your abstract is more than 2 days late, you may not give an oral commercial.
I like to avoid surprises as much as possible, so meet with me before you turn it in to discuss in more detail what you've found and how you're planning on approaching your commercial.Meet with me to discuss rough draft: No later than 2 days before your due date. \newline Penalty for late meeting: 5 points for the next day, 10 points of you try to meet with me that morning, and 15 points if you fail to meet with me.
If you're giving an in-class commercial, bring a bibliography to class with you to give to me. It doesn't have to follow all the rules of a formal bibleography, I just want to know what sources you used. Also, of course, bring whatever materials you're planning on using. If you're planning on using a video or slides to help make your point, let me know so we can get them set up before class. If you're giving a written commercial, it should include a bibleography at the end. As with the in-class version, it doesn't need to be according to Strunk and White, just get the idea across. Written commercials must be written in either Clarisworks 5 or Microsoft Word 6.0 (or later) and either given to me on a disk or put in my dropbox. If you put it in my dropbox, please e-mail me to let me know you've done it.Due date: In class, the day you signed up for. \newline Late penalty: If you turn a written commercial in later that same day, 7 points. After that, 10 more points a day (so 17 points for the next day, etc.) If you don't give your in-class commercial during the day you signed up for, you must turn a paper in instead. If you turn it in that same day, 17 points. After that, 10 more points a day.