Staring at the ceiling is part of the project as pre-calculus students are starting to finish up the year with the course’s annual ceiling tile project. The project requires students to not only create a drawing and image of their choosing but also incorporate five different types of conic sections, an ellipse, hyperbola, a circle, and two parabolas, into their art.

“A conic section is the shape formed when a plane intersects a right circular cone. The kind of curve produced is determined by the angle at which the plane intersects the surface,” teacher Simone Symmank said. “The project is an alternative way to assess the students instead of just doing a traditional paper and pencil test. It is a fun way to end the year, and allow the students to display their learning about conics in a new and creative manner.”

For senior Piper Dickson, the project is a fun and interactive way to better assess and help students like herself understand the material being presented and taught in class. 

“It’s fun to do something more creative in class that still tests our knowledge on the topic,” Dickson said. “Instead of having to memorize equations and graph them on paper, we get to use the equations in a way that helps us understand how many ways math plays a role in everything.”

The project is a whole new and different way of learning about a specific math concept for junior Anila Narula who finds that it also allows students to apply conics to the real world.  

“This project is definitely different than anything we’ve done before, especially considering most of the material learned in the class is reflected based on the different tests we take each week,” Narula said. “This project provides students with a more creative approach to the unit and forces us to find different conic sections within our everyday world, specifically in shows, movies, and different characters.” 

Through the project, Narula believes that she will find enjoyment in intertwining math and art together and enhance her understanding of conics to a greater extent.

“I believe I’m going to really enjoy this project in the weeks coming when my partner and I start designing and painting the tile,” Narula said. “Doing this project will [also] definitely enhance my understanding of circles, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperboles since we have to develop an artwork that incorporates those conic sections in a creative way and find them in our daily lives.”