MAT 126 Module Three Project Proposal Template

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In this section, you will introduce your chosen scenario and how math can be used to solve the problem.
Refer to the Project Guidelines and Rubric for the required criteria. You can consider the following
possible questions as you review the context of your chosen scenario:
o A pattern I notice is …
o A probable reason for the pattern is …
o The data that stood out most to me was …
o If this pattern continued, I predict …
o A difference between ___ and ___ is___, and a possible reason for that difference is …
o A similarity between ___ and ___ is___, and a possible reason for that similarity is …
o An anomaly that I observe is …

Part One: Context

1. Describe how math is used in your chosen scenario.

A. Consider whether you will use formulas, comparisons, proportions, percentages, conversions, or
other applications of mathematics for data analysis.

The scenario I chose to study is Scenario 2: Community Garden. Additionally, I would like to explore the
inflation rate of increase in food prices. Because everything is going up in price, people are finding it
harder to afford better quality food. In this scenario, math is used to calculate the percentage of people
in communities who make better eating habits, the amount of money that is spent on food, the
percentage of people who were more physically active, and much more. Math is also used in this
scenario by finding the cost of maintaining a community garden. For example, you need to pay rent,
insurance, you must pay for the use of water, you must buy seeds for the vegetables or fruits you’re
going to grow, pots for the plants, and the tools and equipment that is needed to run a community
garden.

2. Describe the specific mathematical elements that are presented in the scenario.
A. Consider how parts of the scenario can be viewed from a mathematical perspective.

The mathematical elements that are presented in the scenario would be to calculate the amount of
money it would take to open and maintain a community garden, as well as keeping the cost of the food
that is being grown to a minimum. I think keeping the maintenance of a community garden to a
minimum is the most important thing to keep the price of the food down.

3. Describe the characteristics of quantitative data in your chosen scenario.

A. Discuss how any of these characteristics of the data (mean, median, range, or standard
deviation) can be used to understand the problem within your chosen scenario.
1. Explain how the measures of center (such as the mean or median) can be used to understand
what measure is “typical” or “average” in the data.

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 2. Explain how the measures of variability (such as the range or standard deviation) can be used to
understand how spread out the data points are or to compare each data point to the mean.
B. Look for possible patterns or trends in the data.

Source 1
My first source is a chart of Appalachian gardeners in rural Ohio and their opinions on how having a
garden impacts their knowledge and social lives.

 The survey shows that 76% of Appalachian gardeners strongly agree that they have learned
more about gardening in a result of a community garden and 42% of them strongly agree that
they have made new friends, while only 2% of them strongly agree that they are teaching others
about gardening.
 According to my calculations, in all the categories in the chart above the average of the
percentages of the “Agree” category, so, I can conclude that having a community garden is a
positive impact on citizens.
 The pattern I’ve noticed is that the more people who have access to a community garden, the
more they are going to learn more about gardening, expand their acquaintances, and teach
others about gardening.

Source 2
The chart below shows the impact of eating better foods when having access to community gardens.

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  76% of gardeners collectively agree that they eat more fruits and vegetables, and only 6% of
those same gardeners disagree that they eat more fruits and vegetables. Most of the gardeners
are eating better than they did before they had access to the community garden.

Source 3
I chose to include a bar graph of the percentage of the inflation rate of different varieties of foods
according to the Consumer Prive Index (CPI) in the past 12 months.

 The graph makes it easy for me to find that food in general is up 3.7% in the past year than it has
been before. While food away from home—take out, or a sit-down restaurant—is up a whole
6% more than is has been. Dairy and related products are down by .2% and that is the lowest
percentage on the graph.
 I would say it is typical for mostly all the prices of the products are increasing. However, the
range of the chart is important to note because it is 6.2% and that is a pretty large way for the
prices for food to fluctuate.

4. Explain the relevance of quantitative reasoning in your chosen scenario.

A. Consider how the data that is summarized in charts, tables, or diagrams can be interpreted and
used to provide meaningful information about the context of your scenario.

Quantitative reasoning is relevant to the use of community gardens because it allows us to calculate the
percentage of the rising cost of food and it allows us to calculate the impact of those who do have

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 access to community gardens. Most of the ones who are lucky enough to gain access to community
gardens are eating better, they are making more friends, and they are being more active than they were
before the community garden.

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 References
Laura C. Hopkins, David H. Holben (2018). Food insecure community gardeners in rural Appalachian Ohio
more strongly agree that their produce intake improved and food spending decreased as a result of
community gardening compared to food secure community gardeners. Journal of Hunger &
Environmental Nutrition, 13(4), 540-552. Food insecure community gardeners in rural Appalachian Ohio
more strongly a...: Multi-Search (snhu.edu)

US Inflation Calculator. (2023). Food Inflation in the United States (1968-2023). Food Inflation in the
United States (1968-2023) (usinflationcalculator.com)

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