Education Technology


Middle Grades Math: Toying with a Walk

by Texas Instruments

Objectives

  • Students will determine the relationship between the number of "steps" a walker takes and the time it takes to make these "steps".

Vocabulary

  • function
  • model
  • y-intercept
  • slope
  • table
  • mean/average
  • speed
  • independent variable
  • dependent variable

About the Lesson

This lesson involves collecting time data as a walker moves at a constant pace.
As a result, students will:

  • Use a stopwatch built into the TI-Nspire document.
  • Model the event with a function that best fits the time vs. step plot.
  • Relate the real event of a walker moving at a constant speed to a linear function in the form of y = mx + b.
  • Optional: Explore how the plot of time vs. distance varies from distance vs. time.