Activity Overview
Students walk in front of a calculator-based ranger CBR™ 2 and try to match a distance-time graph. They examine the rate of change, and analyze and interpret the graph of a function.
During the Activity
Distribute the Student Activity PDF to the class.
Position the CBR 2 in such a way that the person walking in front of it and the calculator screen are clearly visible
Study the graph that has to be matched, and understand that time is the independent variable and distance is the dependent variable
Observe that as the walker begins to move, a trace of his path is displayed in real time along with the original graph
Ensure that the student positions herself and walks to match the starting point, direction, rate, deviation, and end point on the graph
Recognize the fact that when the walker stands still, the line is flat and the slope is zero
Determine the direction in which the walker should move to generate a line that slopes up (and down )
After the Activity
Students analyze the results and answer the case analysis questions on the student worksheet.
Review student results
As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
Re-teach concepts as necessary