AVisionforPackersMathematics&ScienceJournal

Ourultimategoalistocreateaforumforstudentstopublishworksonoraboutmathematicalandscience topics.Althoughtherearemanylongtermdirectionsthatthispublicationcouldtake,wehaveaspecificvision forwhatthisjournalmightlooklikeinitsinitialstate. Wehopetohavethefirstissueofthisjournalpublishedattheendofthe20122013schoolyear.Weplanto producepaperandelectronicversionsforthefirstissue.

WhattheJournalWillLookLike
Weanticipatetherewillbefourmainsectionsinthefirstissueofthejournalshowcasingdifferenttypesof studentworkgeneralistpieces(notinvolvingindependentresearch)andresearchpieces(involving independentresearch)ofvaryinglengthsandformats. Thefirstsectionwillhouseshortnewsbriefpieceswhichareaboutworkthatiscurrentlygoingonin thelargermathematicsandsciencecommunities.Articleswhichgointhissectionmightincludein depthresearchonsomemathorsciencetopicwhichiscurrentlyinthenews,ortranscriptsof interviewsthatstudentsconductwithprofessionalswhoarein(oruse)mathorscience.Examples couldincludearticlesonarecentadvanceinglobalclimatechangescience,theworkofthelatest NobelorAbelprize(theequivalentoftheNobelprizeformathematics)winners,oraninterviewwith aneconomicsprofessoratColumbia. Thesecondsectionwillincludeoriginalshortvignettesonmathandscience.Thiscouldtaketheform ofastudentselegantoringenioussolutiontoaparticularlyinterestingmathcompetitionproblemora differentwaytothinkaboutaparticulartypeofscienceproblem.Anotherexcitingpossibilityforthis sectionwouldbephotography,drawings,paintings(orsomeotherartisticexpression)createdby students,whichhaveamathorsciencesubjectmatterandwhichwouldbeaccompaniedbya paragraphexplainingthemathematicaland/orscientificinspirationbehindthework. Thethirdsectionwillcontainlonger,moreindeptharticlesaboutscientificormathematicaltopics thatpiquestudentsinterests.Thesewouldnotincludeoriginalinvestigationsdonebystudents,but insteadgivestudentsanopportunitytofindoutmoreandsharetheirknowledgeonatopicsuchas hyperrealnumbers,HeisenbergsUncertaintyPrinciple,orscientistRichardFeynman,thatmaybe toucheduponinclassbutnotcoveredindepth. Thefourthsectionisforstudentdrivenscienceandmathresearch.Thearticlesinthissectionare intendedforaspecializedaudienceandrepresentacrystallizationofwhatstudentshavediscovered throughweeksormonthsofresearch.

Throughthesedifferentsections,studentswhoarenotreadytoundertakeindependentresearchinmathand sciencehaveanopportunitytoengagewiththejournal,whilethosewhodothistypeofworkwillhaveaplace toshowcasethedataandanalysistheyvespentcountlesshoursproducing.

TheJournalasaDrivingForceinPackersStrategicPlan
InlinewithPackerscommitmenttoexcellenceinscienceandmathematics,westronglybelievethatthe creationofthisjournalwillbetheimpetusforpositivedevelopmentsinthemathandsciencecurricula.From SectionIofPackers20112016StrategicPlan:
Additional focus on project-based learning and problem-solving skills will help students integrate the subject knowledge they develop and to recognize cross-content relationships. The math and science curriculum will continue to advance all of our students ability to become fully fluent in mathematical reasoning and scientific inquiry and to understand the importance and relevance of science and technology issues in our society. Our program will also seek to inspire those with the keenest interest and ability to become the next generation of scientists and mathematicians.

Inadditiontobeingashowcasefortheproblemsolvingandtheinvestigativeworkthatwehopewillgrowin thenextfewyearsatPacker,westronglybelievethatthisjournalcouldbeadrivingforceintheproductionof thissortofwork.Mostimportantly,throughthecollaborationofdepartmentheadsandfaculty,wehopethat teacherswilldesignpiecesoftheircurriculawiththejournalinmindandrecommendstudentswhodostrong worktosubmitittothejournal. Currently,therearealreadycourseswhicharewellpoisedtogeneratecontentforthejournalthroughtheir curricula.TheseincludeAdvanceApplicationsofMathematicsIandII,APStatistics,MultivariableCalculus, BiotechnologyandHumanGenetics,ScienceResearch,OrganicChemistry,andNuclearPhysics.However,all classesinthemathandsciencedepartmentscouldeasilyincludesomesortofindependentorgroupproject whichcouldresultinpublishablework. Finally,wehavenoticedthatstudentsrarelydoIndependentStudies,orcreateSeniorTheses,onmathor sciencetopics.Wehopeinthenextfewyears,thejournalwillencouragestudentstoconsiderthese disciplinesasviableoptionsforindependentwork(alongsideencouragementfromteachers).