June 23, 2005

The students began by looking at a collection of graphs that display the relationship between the height and speed of roller coasters. They were then told to point out the differences and similarities of all the graphs they were given. Through this exercise they discovered that the variables and data of the graphs are the same, however, it is the "scale and interval" of the data that causes the appearance of the graphs to vary.

Next, Bethany directed the students to a web page that displays data (location, track, type, largest drop, height, length, and top speed) for several roller coasters in the United States. She asked them to make graphs of their own and create effective scales based off the information provided by the site. After making their own graphs they brought them all together to see the correlation between them. Then they looked at computer-generated graphs of their data and compared it to their own methods of graphing using scales and intervals.

Continuing the lesson, Bethany showed the students how to effectively create graphs. They also discussed the concept of defining "large numbers." In order to do this she asked the class to come up with at least two questions relating to one million. Using Excel to solve these problems they found the answers to questions like, "How long does it take to count from 1 to 1,000,000?" To end the day Bethany had the students watch a video visualizing the vast distance between planets, further impacting their understanding of large numbers.