Education Technology


How Do You Measure Up?

Activity Overview

In this activity, students graph scatter plots to investigate possible relationships between two quantitative variables. They collect data and analyze several sets of data pairing the two quantities.

Before the Activity

  • See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
  • Print pages 21 - 32 from the attached PDF file for your class
  • During the Activity

    Distribute the pages to the class.

    Follow the Activity procedures:

  • Measure the heights (cm) and the arm spans (cm) of class members
  • Enter the data as lists
  • Find the relationship between height and arm span
  • Graph the data as a scatter plot
  • Add the graph of line y = x on the scatter plot
  • Observe that the data points lie very close to the line y = x
  • Compute the ratio of arm span to height
  • Predict the arm span of a person of a given height, and guess the height of an individual with a given arm span


  • Repeat the activity with other quantitative variables
  • After the Activity

    Students complete the Questions sheet.

    Review student results:

  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary