Begin the lesson by having students take a "walk" around the classroom. As they are walking, have them notice the kinds of steps their classmates take. Remind students that this is not a race.
Call the students together to discuss what they observed. They may describe the steps as:
- big steps
- little steps
- normal steps
Next, distribute the How Many Steps? activity sheet to each student.
Have each student model and clearly understand the meaning of each type of step listed on the activity sheet. For some of the steps, you may wish to demonstrate; for others, have a student demonstrate.
For example, you may wish to have one student demonstrate a "regular" step:
And another student could demonstrate a baby step:
And yet another student could demonstrate a giant step:
Tell students that they will be using one of their baby steps to measure the length of their other steps. That is, they will answer the question, "How many baby steps are equal to 1 _____ step?" To make the comparison easy, have each student cut several copies of their baby-step unit from newspaper. (This can be done most easily by having one student stand with their heels at the edge of the newspaper. Then, as he or she takes a baby step forward, a partner can mark just in front of the toe of their front foot with a crayon or pencil.)
Guide the pupils to measure and record the number of baby steps that equals each of the other steps. A student can take each of the indicated steps, and a partner can help to measure the length using the cut-outs of the baby steps.
Be sure that students measure the distances from the heel of the starting foot to the toe of the ending foot, just as was done with the baby step.
Students should fill in a box on the graph for each baby step. For instance, if one giant step is equal to five baby steps, the student should fill in five boxes. When completed, this graph will form a horizontal bar graph.
Ask students to look at their own graphs, and answer the Questions for Students, below. Then, students should find a partner and compare graphs. What do their graphs have in common? What is different about their graphs? These, as well as the Questions for Students, can all be discussion points for the comparison of two students' graphs.
