Although modeling is an integral process in applied mathematics, students rarely encounter modeling opportunities in their calculus courses. We introduce a laboratory experience as a starting point for calculus students to investigate multivariable functions. A layered system of coffee and milk serves as a physical model for temperature gradients…

Teaching mathematics by project-based learning (PBL) method on the use of educational technology offers an innovative teaching pedagogy at college. The "World Culture Art Created with Calculus Graphs of Equations" poster project was designed by the first author and was completed in the pilot Calculus course during the spring 2016…

The Mobius strip, torus, and Klein bottle are used to graphically and analytically illustrate the differences between orientable and non-orientable surfaces. An exercise/laboratory project using the non-orientable Boy surface is included. (Contains 11 figures.)

Several types of physics activities that use real-world problems to motivate learners, use computers to assist in developing conceptual understandings, connect problem situations to mathematical models, and use the models to analyze other real-world problems are presented. The topics of racing sports, sailing, and damped harmonic oscillations are…