6-8
In the following lessons of this unit, students will have an opportunity to fully explore the patterns that result from the Paper Pool game. In this lesson, however, students will only spend time learning the rules, playing the game, and collecting data.
6-8
Students will continue their investigation of the Paper Pool game by exploring more tables and organizing the results. Using the data that they collect, they will attempt to find a relationship between the size of the table, the number of hits that occur, and the pocket in which the ball lands.
6-8
In the first four lessons of this unit, students investigated the Paper Pool game, collected data, identified patterns, and made predictions about the number of hits, the pocket in which the ball lands, and the path of travel. In this lesson, students finalize their work and write a report that summarizes all of their findings.
6-8
In this lesson, students continue their investigation by discovering a rule to predict the pocket in which the ball will land. As an extension, students can also consider the number of squares that a ball crosses while traversing its path.
6-8
Finding a rule for the number of hits is only the first step in exploring the Paper Pool game. Students can gain a deeper understanding of the patterns by considering graphical representations of the results.
6-8, 9-12
The consideration of cord length is very important in a bungee jump—too short, and the jumper doesn’t get much of a thrill; too long, and
ouch! In this lesson, students model a bungee jump using a Barbie
® doll and rubber bands. The distance to which the doll will fall is directly proportional to the number of rubber bands, so this context is used to examine linear functions.
3-5
Students will work in pairs on various measurement problems. They will complete linear conversions, find elapsed time, calculate a percentage, and analyze data from a chart.
Pre-K-2, 3-5
Students often view linear measurement as a procedure in which a number is simply read off a ruler. The goal of this lesson is to have students gain experience in linear measurement by using a variety of measuring instruments to measure the heights of classmates, to discover the error inherent in measurement, and to search for patterns in data that are represented on a table. In this lesson, students compare results of measuring the same height using different methods, and discuss measurement error. They measure the heights of classmates and the heights of older students in their school, and construct a table of height and age data. The lesson is also designed to serve as a springboard for a second lesson in which students relate measurement to algebra and data analysis concepts.
Pre-K-2, 3-5
A key goal for instruction on algebra at the elementary level is to analyze change, and to understand how change in one variable can relate to change in a second variable. The goal of this lesson is for students to explore how changes in students’ ages relate to changes in their heights.
6-8
In 1999 the world population passed the 6 billion mark. In this lesson, students predict when it will reach 7 billion. Students discuss the reliability of their predictions, compare them to past trends, and discuss social factors that can affect population growth.
