Improving High School Math Engagement with Circuit and Transistor Examples

This summer, Oklahoma State University began a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) site focused on circuit design and semiconductors. Our work with math educators led to the development of lesson plans incorporating semiconductors and circuits to offer real-world examples in place of more abstract word problems. Through this effort we expect to improve math engagement of high school students and introduce them to valuable semiconductor topics. The inclusion of circuit and semi-conductor topics also begins the workforce development needed to fill the jobs projected to be created by the CHIPS Act. Real-world examples developed focus on diode and MOSFET models as applications of piecewise functions in Algebra I and inductor and capacitor circuits as applications of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.