ThinkSharp Classroom Products

Linear Programming Paves the Way

Video Content:
A 22-year-old college graduate secures a job with a local construction company. New to the job, he finds his suggestion that there is a better way for his company to mix asphalt is met with skepticism. Using linear programming, he solves the problem and demonstrates a way to save his company $1,000 a day. Students learn algebra in context and master linear programming - the most powerful math method in the world. Linear programming software is included.

Featured Concepts
Inequalities	Linear Functions
Constraints	Objective Functions
Convex Regions	Cost Ranging

Paramedics and Probability

Video Content:
EMTs describe their experiences and the challenges they faced during the 1987 Amtrack crash in Chase, Maryland. Through the eyes of trauma care personnel, students see how vital math is in making lifesaving medical decisions. Using basic math principles, students model triage decisions and evaluate patient outcomes and then compare and contrast their decisions with those of prehospital care personnel.

Featured Concepts
Statistical Scoring	Curve Fitting
Survival Probability	Triage Rules
Isobars	Indices

Seconds Count: A Race to the Fire

Video Content:
A fire truck races to the scene of a raging fire, but what is the quickest route? Students are pulled into the heart-pounding excitement as they use simple math techniques to find the best option from among trillions of alternatives. Dramatic footage and interesting facts about fires intensify the students' learning experience.

Featured Concepts
Dijkstra's Algorithm	Networks
Decision Trees	Factorials
Branch & Bound	Combinatorial

A Problem of Life and Death: The ECMO SAGA

Video Content:
A helicopter rushes a newborn with severe respiratory problems to a special hospital for emergency surgery, and your students are asked to help! Using exploratory data analysis, students discover which newborns are good candidates for treatment with a risky, yet potentially lifesaving, heart-lung bypass therapy called ECMO. This Learning Experience includes one copy of speech activated Virtual Conversation™ software by Interactive Drama Inc., which allows students to interview ECMO specialist Dr. Billie Short.

Featured Concepts
Stem Leaf Diagrams	Box Plots
Scattergrams	Probability
Medical Testing	Random Numbers

Teacher, Students and ThinkSharp™
Connecting the classroom to the real world.

Each Learning Experience package includes:

A VIDEOTAPE or DVD shot on site with real professionals challenged with real-world problems to solve.

A TEACHER'S GUIDE with all student and teacher resources needed to prepare, teach, extend and assess with CORRELATION to NCTM Standards.

THINKSHARP ONLINE, an interactive internet site that includes problem solving, live chats with professionals, online tutorials, directed web research, and Professional Development.