Monday, June 15, 2015

Fastest Sticky Sticker

It's rare that I post about something I haven't tried in the classroom. Here's an idea that came to me today, inspired by:
I haven't done this activity, yet. If you try it out, please report back or offer suggestions. Thanks!

Competition:

Who is the fastest Sticky Sticker?
Translated: Who is the quickest at covering a 2-dimensional shape with sticky notes?

Materials:
  • Whiteboards
  • Stickies
  • Blue painter’s tape
  • Scissors
  • Timers
Break students into groups.
Have them time each other sticking 10(?) stickies somewhere (whiteboard, desk, etc.).
  • Determine who is the fastest Sticky Sticker of the group.
  • Use their cell phone stopwatches as timers
  • Use some type of table to predict how long it will take each person to stick different amounts of stickies and write an equation.

  • Have each student determine their rate.

Reveal the playing fields

  • First, without the dimensions, of course.
  • Muster up some trash-talking
    • I bet you I could beat anyone in here with one-hand behind my back.
    • I might even give you a head start.
    • I could beat you blind-folded.
  • Have them write down guesses as to how many stickies will cover each shape.
  • Have students guess the dimensions.
  • Have measuring tapes out for students to measure their shape.

Have all groups figure out how many stickies are necessary for each shape. All dimensions given in inches.

  • Square (24x24)
  • Rectangle (21x27)
  • Triangle (27x24)
  • Parallelogram (24x18)
  • Trapezoid (b1= 27, b2=21, h=18)
  • Circle (d=18)

*The following is where I start thinking out loud and not entirely sure what makes sense since I haven't tested this out with students. Feel free to try it out and please report back.


Have each group randomly pick a shape.
  • I'm going to predict that some students or groups will complain/gripe about receiving anything other than the square or rectangle. That's where the scissors come in.
  • Give each group the amount of stickies they calculated for their shape
    • Include a couple(?) extra stickies for a mistake?
    • Give scissors to every group, but the square and rectangle groups.
  • Groups who don’t get the square or rectangle must cut their stickies to fit inside
    • The Circle group(s) should maybe get a little bit of a cushion (modification).
    • The square and rectangle groups need to be challenged while they wait.
    • They can help other groups prepare or figure out a reasonable head start.
  • Should certain shapes get a head start?
    • Should the head start be:
      • time?
      • stickies?
    • Can we modify any of our equations from above?


Ready, Set, GO!
I’d love to see each student participate in the competition. At first, it might appear as though each group picks the fastest Sticky Sticker, but I’d love to make this competition a relay race.
  • Have each group divide their total number of stickies by the amount of group members
    • Each group member should stick about the same number of stickies.
  • Groups determine the order (strategy)
  • Could we graph what that might look like?

*At this point, go back to the blog posts by Al and Jon for more tips.

Determine how the head starts will be determined.
Blow the whistle and get kids sticking those stickies.
Congratulate the winners. Take selfies. Play your national anthem...


Round 2
Who can take the sticky notes off the fastest?

Useful Math:

  • Area of various 2-D shapes
  • Ratio of stickies stuck to time (or time to stickies)
  • Rate
  • Unit rate
  • Writing an equation to model the rate
  • Using the rate to predict how long it will take
  • Possibly graphing the data (or “constant of proportionality)
  • Translate (graphically) the equation above to account for the head start
  • Piecewise functions for different members of the group.
  • Decompose square units in a defined area

Let me know if you're going to try this one out. I will probably test it out in a few weeks during my summer course and report back here.

Sticky sticker,
615


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