Activity Overview
Students will measure different parts of their body (height, thumb, etc.) and will create graphs to see if there are relationships between the measurements. Teachers can use the TI-Navigator™ System to compile student data so that students have more data points to plot on their graphs to help with the data analysis.
Before the Activity
Students need to have background on how to enter data into lists on the graphing calculator. They also need to know how to measure and how to plot a scatter plot. Students should also have some background in how to tell if a scatter plot shows a relationship or not.
During the Activity
Have students work in groups of three or four to help each other make the needed measurements. Once all of the groups have their data entered into their calcualtors, teachers can use the Activity Center to have student send their lists, which can then be compiled into one list and sent back to the student calculators. Students then use these lists to create the different scatter plots which students are required to make. Teachers can also use the Navigator System to screen capture each of the scatter plots the students make to foster classroom discussions about the relationships between the measurements.
After the Activity
After the activity, there are many directions which can be taken. The ratio of head to belly and belly to fee approximates the Golden Ratio, so students can explore other body ratios which give this relationship. Arm span versus height should approximate the line y=x, so again students could explore other body relationships that share this form. You could also have students try to find body measurements which don't have relationships. The work on the body relationships can also be extended into some of the forensic science concepts - such as bone size or foot size to find height.