Taking a model-based approach to a problem entails inventing (or selecting)
a model, exploring the qualities of the model, and then applying the
model to answer a question of interest. For example, the geometry of triangles
has an internal logic and also has predictive power for phenomena
ranging from optics to wayfinding (as in navigational systems) to laying
floor tile. Modeling emphasizes a need for forms of mathematics that are
typically underrepresented in the standard curriculum, such as spatial visualization
and geometry, data structure, measurement, and uncertainty. For
example, the scientific study of animal behavior, like bird foraging, is se-
verely limited unless one also has access to such mathematical concepts as
variability and uncertainty. Hence, the practice of modeling introduces the
further explorations of important “big ideas” in disciplines.