When students think of math at Lexington High School, many might imagine the standard class progression from algebra to geometry to precalculus, and eventually, calculus. But LHS offers electives beyond this sequence—notably, the Contemporary Applied Mathematics course. Contemporary Applied Mathematics concentrates on applications of math in everyday life, emphasizing variety and creativity.
“When people talk about applied math, they often think of science and engineering, but we’re applying to more social situations. For instance, right now, we’re [learning about] voting and how a group can come to a consensus using voting,” Janet West, a teacher for Contemporary Applied Mathematics, said.
Other units have included problems that focused on minimization, where students had to find the shortest route to get from one place to another while also having to stop at a certain point between them. To connect the unit to their everyday lives, students were challenged to graph out an actual neighborhood in Lexington and draw a route on that map.
“We had to do [a project in which] you picked a neighborhood [and] some streets, and you had to make a coordinate plane and explain the most efficient way to stop at every mailbox, and that was fun because I learned about a different neighborhood in Lexington than my own,” Sophie Pjura, a senior, said.
Pjura also commented on the various topics covered throughout the year, noting that a willingness to learn helped her learn unfamiliar subjects.
“A lot of the concepts are real-world applicable, but things like finding the most efficient route and voting… haven’t really been gone over as much in previous years of math, at least from my experience… I think it’s just patience for the most part, and willingness to learn about different things,” Pjura said.
Some seniors take this class alongside AP Calculus AB or BC, while others take only the course itself, especially if math is not a big part of their future plans. This results in a diverse range of students taking Contemporary Applied Mathematics, especially since the only prerequisite is Math 3 or an equivalent level course at a different school.
Along with the various units and concepts, students also learn to develop the skills to work cohesively with others. Typically, classes spend a large amount of time working in groups for both projects and problems. The willingness to work with unfamiliar faces is one of the most important requirements to succeed as a Contemporary Applied Mathematics student.
“There’s a lot of project work. We usually will do a group problem, which might motivate the new learning. Students often work on the vertical whiteboards, [and] they often work in random groups, so that gives me a chance to see what they already know about the problem, or what ideas they can apply already,” West said.
West stated that succeeding in Contemporary Applied Mathematics requires students to be attentive and truly care for the class.
“Pay attention in class. Be willing to do the homework, be willing to ask questions, be willing to collaborate, be willing to work with people. I think those are the main things we usually require,” West said.
