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| Bridging Concepts: The One Inch Project By Kathryn Billington |
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| # | DESCRIPTION | STUDENT ACTIVITY |
| 01 | Beginning at the end of September, the 7 th grade students at Francis Howell Middle School started the book Stretching and Shrinking. This book addressed the topics of corresponding sides and angles of similar figures, determining whether figures were similar based on height, width, angles and scale factor, how to find a scale factor between two similar figures, and how to write a rule using that scale factor. This project was designed to culminate that unit and introduce the students to some of the topics that will be covered in the next unit. These concepts include ratios and proportional reasoning. This lesson was adapted from a lesson in the Middle School Journal. |  |
| 02 | We began by reading the poem, "One Inch Tall" by Shel Silverstein. The main character shrinks down to the size of one inch and everything else in the world stays the same size. After reading this we discussed what it would be like to actually be one inch tall, but instead of our surroundings maintaining their size we discussed what it would be like if everything shrunk with us. We then explored these ideas in terms of our studies. Similarity was the main focus. As a class, we came to the conclusion that our actual height would be similar to our one inch height. Using as evidence the fact that we are the same person shrinking equally in terms of our height and width. We then discussed the idea that each of our one inch worlds would be different because we are all different heights and everything in our world shrinks proportionally to us. |  |
| 03 | The students then made their "one inch" using a piece of yarn and mailing label stickers with eighth of an inch increments printed on them. We formed groups of two and three and measured the yarn to each student's height. The students then folded their yarn in half and marked that spot with the ½ inch tab. They continued folding and marking until their yarn had tabs marking 1/8, ¼ , 3/8, ½ , 5/8, ¾ , and 7/8 markings. This became their "one inch world" measuring tool. They also measured their actual inch height using the chart on the wall. This measurement was recorded in their packet. |  |
| 04 | Using the measurement in actual inches, they found the scale factor going from the actual world to their "one inch world" and also from their "one inch world" to the actual world. These scale factors were used later in the project. They also predicted what they would be before finding the actual calculations. |  |
| 05 | Within the Inch Packet, the students had two tables to record item descriptions and measurements. Each student measured ten items at school and ten items at home. Of these 20 items, five from each location were measured using a tape measure, and five from each location were measured using their "one inch." No 20 items could be the same. |
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| 06 | Using the scale factors the students found earlier, they converted their measurements. For the items measured with the tape measure, they used the scale factor going from actual inches to "one inch" to find the "one inch world" measurement. To find the actual inch measurements, they used the scale factor that went from "one inch" to actual. |  |
| 07 | The students were given two class periods and a week at home to complete this assignment. During the second class period, we took the opportunity to remind students of missing work so that everyone in the class was caught up with all assignments |
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| 08 | After the project I reflected with my cooperating teacher on the success of the assignment. There were a few concepts I felt I could have included after the assignment was completed. This included having the students write a rule using the scale factors they found and have them write down the reasons for similarity that were discussed. My cooperating teacher expressed to me that she had initial concerns with how the students were going to handle the assignment, but she was very pleasantly surprised and plans to use the activity again next year. The students really seemed to enjoy the activity. |
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