Middle Grades Math: Toying with a Walk

Objectives

• Students will determine the relationship between the number of "steps" a walker takes and the time it takes to make these "steps".

Vocabulary

• function
• model
• y-intercept
• slope
• table
• mean/average
• speed
• independent variable
• dependent variable

About the Lesson

This lesson involves collecting time data as a walker moves at a constant pace.
As a result, students will:

• Use a stopwatch built into the TI-Nspire document.
• Model the event with a function that best fits the time vs. step plot.
• Relate the real event of a walker moving at a constant speed to a linear function in the form of y = mx + b.
• Optional: Explore how the plot of time vs. distance varies from distance vs. time.