Students use functions and graph evidence to model a local issue, strategically design and refine a prototype, and justify their solution to NY Edge and other community audiences.

Students enter a fast-paced simulation featuring surprising data about a school or neighborhood challenge introduced with NY Edge. In teams, they rotate through hands-on stations to graph and compare linear, quadratic, and exponential models by hand and with technology, using bilingual visuals and compare, predict, and justify language stems. Teams select the model that best represents the issue, then sketch a poster, digital mock-up, or physical prototype and pitch why their solution would work. A quick gallery walk with peer, teacher, and NY Edge feedback launches the challenge: How can we use functions to model a real problem and justify which solution works best?

Students will strategically plan and create a prototype addressing a school or neighborhood issue identified through a fast-paced data simulation and hands-on function-modeling stations. They will graph functions by hand and with technology, identify key features, compare multiple models, and justify which solution best answers: How can we use functions to model a real problem in our school or community and justify which solution works best? Students will choose a poster model, digital mock-up, or physical scale model and use bilingual visuals, an academic word wall, sentence frames, and structured compare-predict-justify discussions to refine their reasoning. During a rehearsal demo, teacher scoring, peer observations, NY Edge input, and self-assessment logs will guide a final revision before students present their function-based evidence and solution pitch to an authentic audience.

Partner with an NY Edge site director or program coordinator to identify one school or neighborhood issue and provide relevant, anonymized data students can model with functions. The partner can join the launch simulation, explain community priorities, and help students evaluate whether proposed solutions are realistic. NY Edge can host a station-based work session in its after-school space and provide materials or feedback on poster, digital, and scale-model prototypes. During the rehearsal demo, the partner can offer public-audience feedback that students use for one final revision.

Students will create a poster model, digital mock-up, or physical scale model that addresses a school or neighborhood challenge introduced through a fast-paced data simulation and hands-on function-modeling stations. Each product will include functions graphed by hand and with technology, labeled key features, comparisons among multiple graphs, and evidence justifying which solution works best. Using bilingual visuals, a shared function word wall, structured talk routines, and compare-predict-justify sentence frames, students will strategically plan, explain, and revise their solutions through speaking, sketching, or writing. Students will rehearse a concise public demo, use teacher scoring, peer observations, NY Edge input, and self-assessment logs to complete a final revision, then present their prototype and solution pitch to an authentic audience.

Assess prototypes and public demos with a rubric measuring accurate graphs created by hand and with technology, identification of key features, comparison of multiple function models, and evidence-based justification of the best solution. Score strategic planning and solution creation through project checkpoints that document goals, data-based decisions, revisions, and contributions to the team. During a rehearsal, peers, the teacher, and NY Edge provide feedback on graph evidence, prototype effectiveness, and pitch clarity; students then complete one final revision and a self-assessment log explaining how feedback changed their work. Students may demonstrate understanding through a poster, digital mock-up, or physical scale model and use bilingual visuals, sentence frames, academic vocabulary, or speaking, sketching, and writing to compare, predict, and justify.