Hi Arianna,

Go to Math Central and follow the link to Math Beyond School. Type the word algebra into the search window and you will find some notes on algebra used in police work.

Go to the Quandaries and Queries page at Math Central and type the word life into the search window. You will be presented with a long list of questions from people who have a math problem in their work or day to day lives. Many of these questions at first seem more geometric than algebraic (How do I find the area of my lot? What angles do I cut the wood to make a octagonal bird house?) but almost all of them require algebra in the solution. Have a look at the list and I am sure you can find some examples for your project.

Good luck in this,
Penny