UCET 2015

Imagine 40,000 commercial flights per day soaring across US airspace. Talk about a large-scale, real-world distance-rate-time problem! Yet air traffic controllers deftly handle this problem every day through focus, quick decision-making, and mathematics. In this session you will learn how to use the context of air traffic control to transform your students’ ability to make sense of and solve distance-rate-time problems using basic middle school math. We will first use an engaging online simulator to model spacing conflicts between two to five airplanes. Then we will use sample material from the paper-and-pencil workbooks to learn how to apply proportional reasoning to solve each problem with strategic route and speed changes. By the end of the session, you will be able to help students mentally detect, analyze, and resolve air traffic conflicts and then communicate a solution that meets both time and spacing requirements. Products featured in this workshop will include the Sector 33 air traffic control simulator, print-based workbooks, and supporting videos and animations. All materials demonstrated in this session are free and readily available on the NASA Smart Skies website. (The simulator is available as both a web app and iOS app.) http://smartskies.nasa.gov