An Innovative Approach to Secondary Mathematics for Engineering and Science

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for NICERC's Advanced Math for Engineering and Science (AMES) curriculum that will lead to a series of studies on various aspects of the curriculum. Included in the paper is a description of the content, an explanation for the integration of AMES with other curricula, and a description of the professional development for AMES. AMES is a high school curriculum aimed at integrating multiple disciplines in order to provide context for the mathematics concepts used daily by engineers and scientists. This paper begins by discussing the structure of AMES. The structure is based on an analytic geometry approach to concepts taught in high school and post-secondary institutions combined with a multidisciplinary approach providing the context. Additionally, the paper outlines a broad description of the content in AMES and how multiple disciplines such as history, physics, and American government are incorporated into various lessons. This paper then demonstrates how other curricula are interwoven into AMES. Lastly, the paper includes a description of the professional development component of AMES. This section discusses how the professional development engages teachers prior to implementing the course.