Real-Life Learning

One of the main goals of this blog is to look for some ideas for bringing real-life relevance into my math classroom.  Many students seem to find math difficult because they don't see the connection to the real world.  It seems that every moment in the classroom is so full of teaching the ever-growing lists of standards that students will may be tested on that we don't have much time for projects or activities that might lend relevance to our lessons. I try my best to incorporate activities and problem sets that are authentic, but I would like more ideas in order to reach more learners. 

I teach geometry.  While there are many real world applications, it seems difficult to work within the constraints of a classroom, particularly with over-filled classes.  I have taken classes outdoors to estimate heights and distances using trigonometry.  I have brought in manipulatives.  We visit websites that are relevant.  It never seems like enough.  I am looking for good project based learning ideas.

I also teach a college algebra course.  We focus a lot on trigonometry.  The students tend to be college bound but not calculus bound.  They can really use a dose of real life math!  They often have struggled with math because they do not see the usefulness of it.