Math Project #2 Mary Smith Book: Schwartz, D. (1999). If You Hopped Like a Frog.

New York, NY: Scholastic Press. Mathematic Concept/Theme: Ratios (and proportions) Grade Level: 6th Grade Abstract: This book compares the abilities of animals and puts them in proportion to humans. For example: If you could jump like a frog, you would be able to jump from home plate to first base in one jump. If you were as strong as an ant, you would be able to lift a car. If your brain was the size of a Brachiosaurus, your head would be the size of a pea. Etc. Then at the end, you get the real facts about how far a frog can jump in relation to its body length, or how much an ant can lift in proportion to its own body weight, or how tiny a Brachiosaurus head is in proportion to its body, etc. Suggestions for Implementation: Extending and Assessing This story can allow a teacher to monitor students knowledge and abilities in computing proportional ratios and extend the skill beyond worksheet problems to engage students in measuring real-world, applicable ratios.

Problem-Solving Activity Mary Smith Book: If You Hopped Like a Frog (by David M. Schwartz) Mathematic Concept: Ratios (6th Grade Core Curriculum) FACT! Frogs are champion jumpers. They can jump 20 times their body length! A 3 inch frog can hop 60 inches. How tall are you? (Measure your height in inches) If you could jump 20 times your height, how far could you jump?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______ FACT! Ants are tiny, but they are great weight lifters. An ant can lift 50 times its own weight How much do you weigh? (Weigh yourself in pounds round to the nearest whole number) If you could lift 50 times your weight, how many pounds would you be able to lift?

FACT! Large dinosaurs had tiny brains. The Brachiosaurus has a body that weighed 400,000 times more than its brain. Whats your weight? (Convert your weight in points to kilograms!)
If your body weighed 400,000 times more than your brain, how much would your brain weigh?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______ FACT! A diamondback rattlesnake can open its mouth to eat something that is twice as wide as its head! How wide if your head? (Measure across from ear to ear in inches) If you could open your mouth to eat something twice as wide as your head, how big could that object be?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______

FACT! A shrew is one of the tiniest animals, but it has a huge appetite. It eats 3 times its own weight every day! How much do you weigh? (Measure your weight in pounds) If you could eat 3 times your weight, how many pounds of food could you eat each day?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______ FACT! A flea is a little, tiny bug that can jump 70 times its own height! How tall are you? (Measure your height and round to the nearest foot) If you could jump 70 times your own height, how many feet could you jump?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______ FACT! A chameleon can flick its tongue out as far as half its body length. A 1-foot long chameleon can stick its tongue out 6 inches. How long are you? (Measure your height) If you could stick your tongue out as far as half your body height, how far would it reach?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______ FACT! A crane has a neck that is 1/3 of its height! What is your height? (Measure your height to the nearest foot) If your neck was 1/3 of your height, how long would it be (in feet)?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______ FACT! Before you were born you spent 9 months growing in your moms tummy. In that time, your weight increases 3 billion times!!! How much do you weigh now? (round to the nearest pound) If your weight increased 3 billion times your current weight in a 9 month time span, how much would you weigh now? How about 9 months from now?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______ FACT! A female spider can move SUPA fast! It can move 33 times its own body length in only 1 second! What is your body length? (round to the nearest foot) If you could move 33 times your own body length, how fast would you be able to move in 1 second? (Your answer should be in feet per second). What about 2 seconds? What about 1 minute?

Write the Ratio! _______ : _______