Sunshine State Standard

MA.D.2.3.2

Materials

Diluted tempra paint in a spray bottle or other material suitable to mark the ground, tape measure, colored yarn, whiteboard or other large writing surface

What to do

1. Create a large (40x40 ft) coordinate graph marked from -10 to +10 at two foot intervals. Mark the x and y axis. Place a tic mark at 2 foot intervals on each axis. 2. Write the equation x+y=7 on the board. Ask students to find four coordinate pairs which make the equation true. 3. Ask four students to become the points represented by the solutions. Have each student stand within the graph at the point represented by one coordinate pair. Have the four students hold a string to represent the line defined by the equation. 4. Ask another student to "walk the line" created by the students. The student may not walk diagonally, but must turn at right angles to follow the grid. 5. As the student walks, record the number of steps up or down and the number of steps left or right he takes. Record this information and relate to finding the slope of a given line.

Additional Information

Outside activity.

Submitted by

Michelle Bourgeois

Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee County
Pensacola, Florida
MLBourgeois@net.scholastic.com