HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Not many people see a link between dance moves seen on television and linear equations learned in math class. But Brenda Levert does. At the Academy for Academics and Arts, the arts magnet school where Levert teaches seventh and eighth grades, Levert is constantly looking for ways to make math more meaningful and fun. When she can incorporate the arts to pique her students' interests, all the better.

"I've been teaching for several years," Levert says, "and each time that I asked students to identify the graph of a given equation, they had difficulty. When I asked students to tell me if the slope of a line was positive, negative, zero, or undefined, they would hesitate and were unsure of their answer. This led me to a project where they could model the lines and use technology to verify their answers. By having students become active learners, they became more confident and more successful at recognizing lines and graphs of common relations. I figured if students were able to physically model these lines and functions, they would retain the information much better than simply using pencil-and-paper activities."

By having students become active learners, they became more confident

To begin the project, groups of two to three students select a song, subject to teacher approval. They then set about choreographing their dance, incorporating at least nine equations in an order they've plotted out in advance on graph paper. Students' dance routines are both videotaped and recorded with digital photography. These visuals are then combined with computer printouts of the depicted equations, tables, and graphs—aided by a graphing calculator—and are used by the students while creating electronic presentations documenting their project activities.

"The graphing calculator helps students by graphing the equations and creating tables of the equations without all the tedious calculations," Levert explains. "This allows students the ability to analyze the graphs without spending too much time doing calculations. The calculator also connects to the computer so the students can capture screens from the calculator and paste them in a work document to present and explain their data."

The benefits of this project are many, reports Levert. In addition to cementing math concepts in students' minds, students gain technological know-how. "Technology allows my students to investigate and present their discoveries with their classmates, Levert says. "This ultimately provides a lasting impression and helps students develop basic skills."

The final videotapes and electronic presentations are shared with the rest of the student body, Levert says, "to demonstrate how exciting and interesting learning mathematics can be."

The Academy for Academics and Arts is a K-8 arts magnet school. Located in rural Alabama, the school serves a diverse population of 400 students. "As required by court order," Levert says, "the racial makeup of the school matches the makeup of the total student population for Huntsville City School—approximately 60 percent white and 40 percent African American." Some of these students come from the immediate neighborhood, a low socioeconomic area including a housing project. Other students commute from around the city.

The school is equipped with a computer lab, and every classroom has at least one computer. Levert currently has three computers in her room, due in part to her being honored with the Toyota TIME Grants for Teachers Award, a two-year grant providing approximately $10,000 to purchase technology for her classroom.

Levert reports that students enjoy the choreography project. "Students at this age have a lot of energy and enjoy moving around and working with their classmates," she says, instead of staying planted at their desks, scribbling on worksheets.

As for lesson retention, Levert confirms that the project has been successful. In fact, she says, "One student told me every time she heard the song they used for their project on the radio, she would think of her Shake Your Groove Line project."

For a more detailed look at the lesson plans and resources for "Choreographing Math" see the unit plan, http://educate.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex/ChoreographingMath/.