Math teachers Kim and Dionne say that older students often ask them why they need to learn math and how they will ever use mathematical concepts in their lives. To help illustrate the value of math - especially the abstract ideas that 7th and 8th grade students are currently learning such as linear functions and variables - they invited in GSFS parent and researcher Shana Stites to their 8th grade class.

Shana shared her personal story, from not liking math as a young student to how she discovered the value of data while working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) trying to help teen mothers. She began to wonder if her work had an impact, but there was no data being collected so Shana began to use her mathematical skills to collect and analyze information.

Shana brought real-life examples of her projects that are math-based to the students and asked them to look at the data. In the first case study, Shana examined the impact of food stamps and what choices people make. She went to grocery stores, tracking purchases as well as what was on sale each day. When she shared the data, students were able to see a clear result - individuals often purchased items on sale and less nutritionally-rich food items were more likely to be on sale.

For homework, students used Shana's data on a food poisoning outbreak in a restaurant to identify what food item was contaminated based on who got sick and what they ordered.

 Kim notes that Shana's work often requires her to create programs and algorithms to analyze hundreds of variables, while the 7th and 8th grade students are currently learning about ways to look at and use one or two variables in math class.

 "Shana made algebra real by understanding the basics of how it can be applied to many situations," says Kim. "She did a great job weaving in things that 8th graders care about - social justice, food access, and healthy choices, and going out to eat."