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Gentlemen (and ladies) start your engines

It was bound to happen. Someone found a way to make NASCAR educational. BoardBuzz kids you not. So for all you speed freaks out there, pay close attention to this story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It seems that Alpharetta High math teacher Jane McAlister has found a way to make math "fun as well as educational" all by using NASCAR as a guide.

The course description in the 2008 Spring catalog reads: "If you think this is a simple-minded sport for rednecks, you are in for the ride of your life." The class embraces all things speed, and looks at the big picture in a mathematical context. Classroom discussions include the dimensions of a track, the measurements of a race car and how the two can work for or against the driver. Keeping up with the NASCAR Chase for the Cup, and who is up or down in the complex points system, is all part of the curriculum. Homework assignments include watching Speed TV and weekend NASCAR and Indy car races. The class is part of Alpharetta High's Talented and Gifted (TAG) program. Students take the class in addition to their regular course work, but don't get a letter grade for the extra seminar. Students who complete the class get a "gifted participation" designation on their high school transcripts, McAlister said. The early inspiration for the class came when McAlister was still teaching math at nearby Milton High School. Michelle Theriault was a student. "She'd come to me every now and then and ask for three weeks worth of assignments because she was going racing," said McAlister. "And I thought, 'If she's interested in this there have to be other teenagers interested.' " Theriault, who started racing long before she had a driver's license, competes in various NASCAR and ARCA events and dreams of becoming a NASCAR champion. McAlister said Theriault's passion for her sport made her wonder if a class that studied racing would work.

And the rest, as they say, is history. It's innovative programming like this that keeps kids engaged and makes them want to learn. What kinds of creative curricula do you have in your district? Tell us about it by leaving a comment.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on April 29, 2008 (boomark / email).