The administrators and parents at the school that you teach at are questioning why you are incorporating quantitative reasoning into the curriculum of your third grade classroom. They have asked you to prepare a persuasive research paper that supports and argues for why the instruction of quantitative reasoning is important.
Your paper should consist of the following sections:
Introduction/Motivation: This is where you introduce to the reader what QR is (make sure you are clear in defining quantitative reasoning!) and how it comes up throughout daily life. Try to help the reader feel a personal connection to QR by showing them how they use it (perhaps without realizing it) in their daily life. You can also draw on some articles that speak about the quantitative literacy gap and how it is a key member holding students back from future success in mathematics (and possibly other disciplinary fields?). Be as creative as you want in this section; let your personality help the reader feel comfortable and relate to the argument you are presenting. This section should be about 1-2 paragraphs.
Summary of articles/argument: This is where you bring in the findings from some of the readings and research you have done. Make your argument for how and why QR should be presented in the classroom. Then use some of the readings (either from the list or from your own searches) to back up your claim. Remember, you are trying to convince the administration and the parents that what you are doing in the classroom is beneficial to their students. This should be 2-3 paragraphs.
Conclusion: One final section that summarizes what you have already said. This is where you lay your last words and do the best you can to create an unbeatable argument in defense of QR at the elementary levels. Again, relate to the human you are addressing (keeping in mind your audience) and try to convince them that quantitative reasoning skills are best introduced at a younger age and can prove to help students for years to come. One paragraph should be enough for this section.
It may seem odd to have a paper assigned as a project in a mathematics course, however, it is important to be able to defend what you are teaching and why you are teaching it. This assignment will hopefully expose you to articles and ways of viewing quantitative reasoning that will stick with you long after this semester is over. I am not as concerned about who has the most eloquent writing (this is a math class after all), but rather I want to see how you can convince the reader that you are aware of the deeper implications of certain topics and lessons that are presented in the elementary classroom.
I will be grading using the following rubric:
Organization (20 points)
Clarity of argument (30 points)
Links she would like us to use: (not sure if you will have access)
https://blackboard.sdsu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5453404-dt-content-rid-108751032_1/courses/MATH313-02-Spring2020/Falkner_Foundations.pdf
https://blackboard.sdsu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5453406-dt-content-rid-108751037_1/courses/MATH313-02-Spring2020/Philipp.pdf
