CCSS Alignment By Grade
CCSS Alignment By Standard
Making Predictions With Scatter Plots in the Real World
This Real World 3 Act Math Task will have students making predictions via interpolation and extrapolation using scatter plots and a line of best fit.
Related Math Topics:
Data management of two-variables including:
- making predictions between two-variables,
- creating scatter plots,
- classifying correlations as positive/negative and strong/weak, and
- interpolating and extrapolating using a line of best fit.
This task can be extended to linear relationship and equations by having students determine the equation of a line for the line of best fit to make predictions.
Act 1: Lighting the Candle
Students will watch act 1 and make interpolations and extrapolations related to how long it will take for the candle to burn to ____ cm tall or to completely burn out.
Act 2: Students Request Information
At this stage, students may be requesting more information, such as:
- how long was the candle before it was lit?
- how long did it take to get to half the size?
Here are some images that can also help when gradually releasing more information to your students:
Act 3: Compare Student Predictions to Reality
Sequel / Extensions
What if…
…we had a 26 cm candle with the same diameter as the last candle? How long would it take to burn out?
… the relationship between height of the candle and time was perfectly linear? (a perfectly straight line). What could the table of values and graph look like?
This 3 act math task can easily be extended to different situations including a larger/smaller candle, thicker candles and many other ideas that I’m sure you’ll think up as you prepare to use this task.
Resources:
Download the Candle Burning Math Task Template.
Download the Stormy Winters Scatter Plot Practice worksheet:
Sequel #2:
Added Monday April 14th, 2014
This activity is a great one to address the Understanding Characteristics of Linear Relations specific expectation from MPM1D – Principles of Mathematics, 9:
LR2.04 – determine the equation of a line of best fit for a scatter plot, using an informal process (e.g., using a movable line in dynamic statistical software; using a process of trial and error on a graphing calculator; determining the equation of the line joining two carefully chosen points on the scatter plot).
Click below to grab a math handout that has some of the given information and some area for students to work:
Please comment to let me know how it worked in your classroom!
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About Kyle Pearce
I’m Kyle Pearce and I am a former high school math teacher. I’m now the K-12 Mathematics Consultant with the Greater Essex County District School Board, where I uncover creative ways to spark curiosity and fuel sense making in mathematics. Read more.
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MAP4C [Mathematical Models - MM2, Mathematical Models - MM3]
MAT1LMAT2LMBF3C [Data Management - DM1, Data Management - DM2, Geometry and Trigonometry - GT1, Geometry and Trigonometry - GT2, Mathematical Models - MM1, Mathematical Models - MM2, Mathematical Models - MM3]
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MCR3U [Characteristics of Functions - CF1, Characteristics of Functions - CF2, Exponential Functions - EF2, Exponential Functions - EF3, Trigonometric Functions - TF3]
MCT4C [Exponential Functions - EF1, Trigonometric Functions - TF3]
MDM4U [Counting and Probability - CP2, Organization of Data For Analysis - DA2, Probability Distributions - PD1, Statistical Analysis - SA1, Statistical Analysis - SA2]
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MFM2P [Measurement and Trigonometry - MT1, Measurement and Trigonometry - MT2, Measurement and Trigonometry - MT3, Modelling Linear Relations - LR1, Modelling Linear Relations - LR2, Modelling Linear Relations - LR3, Quadratic Relations in y = ax^2 + bx + c Form - QR1, Quadratic Relations in y = ax^2 + bx + c Form - QR3]
MHF4U [Exponential and Logarithmic Functions - EL2, Exponential and Logarithmic Functions - EL3]
MPM1D [AG3, Analytic Geometry - AG1, Analytic Geometry - AG2, LR1, LR2, LR3, MG2, MG3, NA1, Number Sense and Algebra - NA2]
MPM2D [AG1, AG2, AG3, QR2, Quadratic Relations - QR4, T2, T3]
Functions [F-BF.1, F-BF.3, F-IF.4, F-LE.1, F-LE.2, F-LE.3, F-TF.5]
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Grade 1 [1.NBT.4, 1.OA.1]
Grade 2 [2.NBT.5, 2.OA.2]
Grade 3 [3.NBT.2, 3.NF.1, 3.NF.3, 3.OA.1, 3.OA.5, 3.OA.9]
Grade 4 [4.MD.2, 4.NBT.6, 4.NF.3, 4.OA.1]
Grade 5 [5.MD.1, 5.MD.3, 5.MD.4, 5.MD.5, 5.NBT.6, 5.NF.1, 5.OA.1, 5.OA.2, 5.OA.3]
Grade 6 [6.EE.1, 6.EE.2, 6.G.1, 6.G.2, 6.NS.1, 6.RP.2, 6.RP.3]
Grade 7 [7.EE.4, 7.G.3, 7.G.4, 7.G.6, 7.RP.1, 7.RP.3, 7.SP.2, 7.SP.6]
Grade 8 [8.EE.1, 8.EE.5, 8.EE.6, 8.EE.7, 8.EE.8, 8.F.3, 8.F.4, 8.F.5, 8.G.5, 8.G.7, 8.G.9, 8.SP.1]
Practice [MP.1, MP.2, MP.3, MP.4, MP.6, MP.7]
Statistics & Probability [S-ID.6, S-MD.4]
