Calculus I, Slow the Flow Project
Like much of the West coast, Washington has increasing problems with drought, water usage, and wild fires. While the problems in Spokane County are not as severe as parts of central Washington, our water usage affects the rest of the state. The City of Spokane has an active campaign called Slow the Flow, aimed at educating the public about responsible use of water. Your goal in this project is to produce an informative and appealing advertisement that Slow the Flow, or a similar campaign could use to further the cause of responsible water use.

Step One Peruse the websites linked above, as well as other reliable sources to educate yourself on the issue.
Step Two Read the description of the "Tuna Can Test" on Slow the Flow's website.
Step Three Observe that the effectiveness of the test is based on a simple related rates problem. Compare the rate the change of the height of water in the tuna can increases to the rate of change of it's volume. Make a conclusion about the flow of water from the sprinkler.
Step Four Get creative! Come up with your own way of comparing a household water use or water leakage issue to an easily measurable quantity. Use related rates to show that your technique is effective.
Step Five Create an advertisement. Your ad can take any form you like (poster, website, tv ad, etc.). Most importantly, it should be accessible to the general public, it should be attractive, it should address an issue related to water use, and it should give an effective technique for people to assess their own water use problems.

For this project you should work in groups of two or three. Your final report will consist of three components.
• First, you'll present your ad to the class. Presentations will take place on Friday, October 24th in class (this is the beginning of parents weekend, so some of you may have parents visiting our class!).
• Second, as a group you should write up the math behind your presentation. This should be in the form of a short paper (1-2 pages) explaining how the measurements made give an accurate representation of the water use problem you describe. Your paper should include calculus! Be sure to include realistic estimates of the relevant quantities of water. In addition, write up your analysis of the tuna can test and compare and contrast your model to that one. You should (as always) include a full bibliography of any sources you used.
• Third, you should individually give a short analysis of the effectiveness of your group. Each member should assess both their own productivity and the productivity of their group mates. You should turn this in individually.

Your grade on the project will primarily be based on your ability to effectively communicate mathematics. A good report will include a full analysis of relevant mathematics and a clear description of how this math could be used in a public campaign. There will also be a competitive aspect of this project. After presentations we will vote as a class on the most effective advertisement. This group will receive a bonus, and we will discuss the possibility of sending their advertisement to the City of Spokane for use with the Slow the Flow campaign (with consent of all group members).