One time in math class…(when I was a student…)
My favorite lesson as a student was a calculus lesson. We had just learned about how to minimize the surface area of a cylinder given a constant volume. Our teacher asked each us to choose any product, packaged in a cylindrical container that was not in the optimized shape. We wrote a letter to the company (complete with calculus equations and sketches) explaining our concern and telling them about how they could save lots of money with a new package in the optimal shape. We had to show the letters to our teacher before sending them out. We were offered bonus points if we got a response from the company, so we were encouraged to write an influential letter. Our teacher kept a record of each company that had been written to in the past so that the same companies would not be reused. The most fun part was when we received responses and shared the letters with the class. My letter was to a lip gloss company and I encouraged them to switch ...