As an educator, I know the importance of having students participate in hands-on activities to engage them in lessons. Most students learn by physically doing something because it makes the learning experience more memorable. I referenced NCTM Illuminations to help me plan this lesson. The lesson is called, Barbie Bungee. The students and I will have to make predictions, collect and analyze data, construct scatterplots, and evaluate the different variables that can influence the results of this activity. This is another lesson that can be altered to best suit the needs of each student, in any classroom. I hope that I can encourage students to explore and discover different mathematical relationships throughout the school year, and ultimately, the rest of their lives.
To begin this experiment, the teacher will measure 200 cm off the ground and place a piece of tape to mark that measurement. The students must see how many rubber bands it takes for Barbie to safely drop 200 cm without touching the ground. The students will add 2 rubber bands per trial, and must measure the distance she bungeed after each release. It is crucial for the students to document the lowest point Barbie reaches per trial.
On the left, there is a picture of Barbie after being released. Towards the bottom of the wall, it is evident that an observer has indicated the lowest point that Barbie bungee by placing her hand there until someone is ready to measure the distance. On the right, is a picture of the data collection chart that each student will be filling out, before and after each trial.