Grade Level: High School Last Updated: 12/18/20073 Case Summary

Case Title: Quarterback Stats

Authors: Alyson Zeamer, Katheryne Mosley & Stephanie George

The Atlanta Falcons have just lost their star quarterback, Michael Vick, to legal problems. How are they going to find a new quarterback? Is the current quarterback rating statistic a valid one to use when proposing who to hire?

This case was written by Alyson Zeamer (PhD student, Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA), Katheryne Mosley (teacher, The New Schools at Caver: School of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia) and Stephanie George (PhD student, Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA). Authors may be contacted at azeamer@emory.edu, kjmosley@atlanta.k12.ga.us and gtg798j@mail.gatech.edu.

Students should be able to:

1. 
   Become familiar with the PBL format (specifically, filling out the BIG Idea chart, sorting information, group work, and asking questions)
   
2. 
   Describe and write a coherent summary of the data
   
3. 
   Use critical thinking to employ math concepts in order to develop their own equation
   
4. 
   Think creatively to present information and arguments
   
5. 
   Work collaboratively to prepare an engaging presentation on what they learned
   
6. 
   Strengthen oral presentation skills
   
7. 
   Incorporate technology into a presentation
   
8. 
   Objectively evaluate the contribution of each of their peers
   

Assessment included 1) responses to the Big Idea Chart for Scene: 1, 2) developing an equation for who they think is the best quarterback, 3) a group presentation to the class using available technology graded using the Rubric for Quarterback Stats Presentation to the Commissioners, 4) assignment in which they have to explain what a quarterback rating is and how it is useful, and 5) a Self/Peer Evaluation form. See student materials for these documents.

1. 
   (10 min) The students are given Scene 1 and asked to individually fill out a Big Idea Chart. This is followed by a class discussion about what is needed to determine who the best quarterback actually is.
   
2. 
   (30 min) The students are broken up into groups of 4 students and each group is given Scene 2. They must work as a group to develop their own quarterback rating equation.
   
3. 
   (15 min) Each group is given a table specific to their group that includes statistics for 6 different NFL starting quarterbacks. They must calculate the QB rating of each of those quarterbacks based on the equation they developed.
   
4. 
   (15 min) The students are given Scene 3 and must compare their equation to the current QB rating equation.
   
5. 
   (Remainder of class) The students must work as a group to put together a PowerPoint presentation for the NFL Commissioners explaining their equation and how it compares to the current QB rating equation. They must include figures and graphs relevant to the data.
   

1. 
   (10 min) The students finish the PowerPoint presentation they began the previous day.
   
2. 
   (20 min) Each student must individually answer the questions on the assignment sheet about what they learned during this PBL.
   
3. 
   (40 min) Each group is given 8 minutes to present their findings to the NFL Commissioners.
   
4. 
   (5 min) Each student must individually fill out a Self/Peer Evaluation form for each member’s contribution to the project.
   

Our initial implementation of this PBL did not go so well, so we made several adjustments which have all been included in the teacher and student materials here. Therefore, the PBL as written here has not been implemented in the classroom to date.

1. 
   The goal of Scene 1 is to get the students thinking about what a quarterback rating is.
   
2. 
   The goal of Scene 2 is to use current statistical data to designing a quarterback rating equation and to graphically illustrate variables
   
3. 
   To graph the difference in equations
   

• 
  We will give them the tables in an excel file as well so that the students do not have to spend time entering the data
  
• 
  Suggest potential graphs
  
  • 
    pass attempts/pass completions (circle)
    
  • 
    yards gained/pass completed (bar)
    

4. 
   The goal of Scene 3 is to get the students to:
   

• 
  critically examine their equation in comparison to the actual rating equation
  
• 
  critically examine the true measure of the equation
  
• 
  graph the quarterback rating differences between their equation and the actual equation for their 6 players.
  

Glencoe Geometry Integration Applications Connections McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. 2001

© 2007, Alyson Zeamer, Katheryne Mosley & Stephanie George. Unauthorized use is prohibited, see Web site for Terms of Use. This material is based upon work supported by the GK-12 program of the National Science Foundation, under Award #DGE0536941. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. CASES Online is brought to you by the Emory College Center for Science Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. This document and other resources are available from the CASES Online Web site, http://www.cse.emory.edu/cases

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