Unnatural Disasters: Two Calculus Projects for Instructors Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice

Abstract

We provide context and motivation for an instructor to use real-life examples in the calculus classroom. To this end we describe two specific project ideas, one related to the devastating impact of methylmercury fungicide in a grain seed supply and the other to a catastrophic methane leak. By using calculus in contexts that have social justice implications, we hope to empower students to reason for themselves, to use mathematics as a powerful tool to deepen their understanding of the world, and ultimately, to effectively confront the challenges society faces.