In the sun and the wind in your back - The realisation of Ambergreen -
Math Alympiad Preliminary 2016-2017
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The activity

In the sun and the wind in your back - The realisation of Ambergreen -

Amberhavn has been growing a lot in recent years, and therefore a new residential area is being built. It will be a modern and sustainable area of which the name is already known: Ambergreen. The location is also known already: in the south, on the eastern edge of the city (See the map on the first page). Amberhavn wants to realise renewable energy production and is researching whether it is possible to have the area be energy neutral. The city has decided to perform an experiment: the new inhabitants of the 175 houses to be built are communally responsible for producing renewable energy. The inhabitants will decide together whether and how solar and wind energy will be used. The costs are divided fairly over the inhabitants. The inhabitants do not want to research everything themselves and together with the Amberhavn city council they arrange independent expert advice. Dutch version
Background information

Math A-lympiad

The Mathematics A-lympiad is a real-world-mathematics-problem-solving competition for teams of students forom uppe secondary schooles, with open ended assignments.
The open assignments are designed by the A-lympiad committee, a committee residing at the Freudenthal Institute of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, that organizes the Mathematics A-lympiad since 1989. The aim is to elicit students to think mathematically, to solve open-ended unfamiliar problems in a creative way, to model, structure and represent problems and solutions, to work collaboratively and to communicate about mathematics. The task is set in a non-mathematical real life (often work related) situation that asks for mathematical modelling and problem solving. The final product is a report fitting the real-life context of the task.

Math in teams
During the Dutch Mathematics Day Contest students work in teams of about 3 to 4 members on an open mathematical problem solving task during a couple of hours. The product of this work is a report (and sometimes a presentation). 		Using your skills in a new setting
  • The task gives the students the opportunity to show what they have learned from mathematics and how they can use the knowledge and skills in a new situation.
  • Students can try, analyze, reason, calculate en design;
  • The (context of the) task is authentic, while the mathematics knowledge is easy to (re)use in this new situation;
  • Different teams can work 'on their own level' and this gives opportunities for differentiation;
  • There is a structure in the task from 'easy first steps' to a more complex end task.
The assessment can be focused on:
  • The completeness and correctness of the answers for the various parts;
  • the representation of calculations and the method used;
  • the use of math;
  • the argumentation and the justifications of choices and decisions;
  • the depth to which the various assignments have been answered;
  • originality and creativity in methods and solutions;
  • elements like: lay-out, readability, language, illustrations etc.


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