Learning Goals & Products

Learning Goals

1

Students will be able to investigate Brooklyn and Queens flooding data and identify patterns in neighborhood stormwater runoff.

2

Students will be able to write polynomial functions that describe the relationship between rainfall time and water level in a neighborhood drainage system.

3

Students will be able to factor polynomial expressions, identify zeros, and apply the Remainder Theorem to determine when a drainage design reaches critical flood thresholds.

4

Students will be able to rewrite equivalent polynomial and rational expressions to reveal intercepts, end behavior, and design limits in flood-risk models.

5

Students will be able to justify a neighborhood drainage recommendation using evidence from user needs, local data, and model comparisons.

Products

individual

Flood-Risk Research Brief with Algebraic Model Analysis

Each student creates a user-informed research brief that synthesizes neighborhood flooding evidence, stakeholder needs, and one polynomial/rational model of drainage behavior. The brief includes a prototype recommendation and explains how the math reveals flood thresholds, limits, and likely performance.

team

Community Board Flood-Response Proposal and Tested Drainage Prototype

Teams produce a shared problem statement and a higher-fidelity drainage solution suitable for testing with authentic stakeholders. The proposal combines individual research findings, revised mathematical models, and a presentation narrative explaining how user feedback shaped the final design.

Rubric
Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric
Category
Learning Goal
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
New York Portrait of a Graduate
Academically Prepared
  • I can write a polynomial function that models a relationship between two drainage quantities (like rainfall input and modeled water level) and use it to make a clear claim about how changing one quantity affects the other.
  • I can rewrite a rational expression or polynomial into an equivalent form by using the structure of the expression (including rewriting to reveal intercepts/design limits) and I can connect those algebraic forms to what the model means for flood risk.
  • I can apply the Remainder Theorem and factor suitable polynomial expressions to identify zeros that represent key flood-threshold conditions, and I can use these results to explain whether a drainage design reaches or avoids those thresholds.
  • I can independently choose and produce the most informative equivalent polynomial and rational forms (including expressing a(x)/b(x) as q(x)+r(x)/b(x) when appropriate), then justify my model’s behavior (zeros, limits, and end behavior) with evidence from data to support a neighborhood flood-risk decision.
New York Portrait of a Graduate
Critical Thinker
  • I can use math evidence from my notes (maps, photos, simulation results) to propose a simple function that models the relationship between two drainage variables (e.g., rainfall input and water level)
  • I can state what each quantity represents and how the model will be used to reason about flood risk.
  • I can analyze patterns in local rainfall, drainage, and puddling data to refine my function model and explain why it fits the situation
  • I can recognize the structure of related expressions and choose an equivalent form that helps me interpret a design’s effect on water level.
  • I can compare two drainage designs by building and evaluating polynomial/rational models, then justify which model best matches neighborhood conditions
  • I can use the Remainder Theorem and zeros (when factoring is available) to interpret flood thresholds or failure points, and I can explain the meaning of those results in context.
  • I can independently synthesize mathematical reasoning with NYC evidence to make a defensible, data-based claim about which drainage design reduces flood risk
  • I can rewrite rational expressions into meaningful forms to reveal properties (like limits/intercepts), and I can critique and improve my model by connecting structure, zeros/thresholds, and real-world outcomes in my recommendation.
New York Portrait of a Graduate
Global Citizen
  • I can connect my flood-risk model to a real neighborhood context by choosing variables that represent stormwater and drainage conditions in a way that helps a community audience understand the relationship
  • I can write a function that describes how changes in one drainage quantity relate to another over time.
  • I can justify how my polynomial model represents a drainage decision in Southeast Queens by using structure to rewrite expressions and explain what the new form shows for flood thresholds or limits
  • I can identify zeros (threshold points) from factorizations and use the Remainder Theorem to confirm when a design meets or fails a key condition.
  • I can compare two drainage designs using mathematically equivalent forms to make community-relevant claims about performance, such as intercepts, end behavior, and safe/unsafe ranges
  • I can rewrite rational expressions into quotient-plus-remainder form and use the revealed features to explain which option better matches local conditions from class data and NYC sources.
  • I can confidently communicate a globally responsible, evidence-based recommendation by selecting and explaining the best mathematical model among alternatives and addressing tradeoffs in flooding impacts
  • I can produce clear function and expression reasoning (including rational rewrites and threshold checks) that a community board/DEP audience can follow to support informed stormwater decisions.
New York Portrait of a Graduate
Reflective and Future Focused
  • I can identify what I learned from analyzing flooding data and models by pointing to specific evidence from my 1-pager (e.g., key zeros, intercepts, or rewritten forms) and explaining how it helped explain a flooding threshold or design limit
  • I can set one next-step goal for improving my reasoning or model based on teacher or peer feedback.
  • I can reflect on how my understanding of the flood-risk problem improved as I revised my polynomial/rational models, and I can describe how my choices (factoring, using the Remainder Theorem, or rewriting expressions) changed what my function showed about drainage over time
  • I can use feedback to make a clear, measurable plan for what I will do differently in the next phase, such as refining assumptions or recalculating zeros.
  • I can evaluate the strengths and limitations of my drainage decision-tool by comparing evidence (graphs, zeros, and equivalent forms) to the flood-risk patterns in our data, and I can justify why my selected model best fits the scenario
  • I can independently set meaningful goals for future improvement and consistently connect my math revisions to responsible stormwater decision-making.
  • I can synthesize my learning across phases by explaining how my math reasoning evolved into a reliable, student-tested recommendation for Community Board 12/DEP, including how I confirmed or corrected conclusions using polynomial/rational structure (e.g., recognizing equivalent forms and identifying zeros with justification)
  • I can use reflective evidence to make sophisticated future-focused decisions—prioritizing accuracy, transparency, and well-being in how I interpret and communicate flood-risk tradeoffs.