Proportionality & Grasshoppers

Proportionality & Grasshoppers

 

What would it mean if students could jump proportionally as far grasshoppers? To find out, I brought in some grasshoppers.

 

First we measured the length of two grasshoppers to be approximately 1 inch. Next, we measured the distance of three jumps (in inches) from two grasshoppers I found in my backyard and took the average of all three jumps for an average of 43 inches.

 

Next, we measured the height of two students in inches and took the average for a result of 62 inches.

 

Finally we formed the proportion

 

1/43 = 62/x

 

x = 2,666 inches which is roughly 74 yards.

 

In essence, if students could jump proportional to grasshoppers we could nearly jump 3/4 of a football field.

 

How Matrices Can Help When You’re Dating On A Budget.

How Matrices Can Help When You’re Dating On A Budget.

The scenario was that each student was treating their partner out on a date for pizza with the only caveat being they were on a tight budget and needed to find the cheapest place to take their date.

I first had my student draw a picture of their dates!

 



(Eva didn't talk much)



The students were asked to skim through three restaurant take-out menus to find the price of a large pizza and placed the prices inside a 1 x 3 matrix (Matrix A).

 

Next, the students were asked to skim through three restaurant take-out menus to find the price of additional toppings for a large pizza and placed the prices inside another 1 x 3 matrix (Matrix B).

Next, I had each student ask their date how many toppings they wanted on their large pizza (I answered for their dates of course).

 

The students then multiplied matrix B by the number of toppings they wanted on their pizza and placed the prices inside another 1 x 3 matrix (Matrix C).

 

Finally, the students were asked to add Matrix A to Matrix C to find the total price at three restaurants for a large pizza with a specified number of toppings and choose the cheapest restaurant.