!

On#Your#Mark#
Do#taller#Olympic#sprinters#have#an#unfair#advantage,#and#would#it#be##
more#fair#to#organize#races#by#height?#

#
Description#

Jamaican! sprinter! Usain! Bolt! is! fastvery! fast.! ! Hes! also! tallvery! tall.! ! At! 1.96!
meters! (65),! Bolt! towers! over! his! competition.! ! So! does! this! give! him! an! unfair!
advantage,! and! what! would! happen! if! instead! of! everyone! running! the! same!
distance,!Olympic!sprinters!ran!distances!based!on!their!heights?!
In! the! launch! activity! of! this! Mathalicious! project,! students! use! proportions! to!
determine! what! would! happen! if! Olympic! races! were! organized! differently.! ! Would!
Bolt!still!win?!!!
Students!explore!this!even!further!in!the!project!tasks.!!In!one!task!(which!you!may!
elect! to! do! before! the! launch! activity)! students! hit! the! track! and! run.! They! then!
return! to! class,! measure! their! heights,! and! discuss! whether! there's! a! relationship!
between!height!and!running!time.!In!another,!students!research!a!different!Olympic!
racing! event! and! see! what! would! have! happened! had! the! race! been! organized!
proportionally.! ! They! then! determine! which! type! of! event! (fixed! distance! or!
proportional!distance)!is!the!fairest!way!to!crown!a!champion,!and!explain!why.!

Grade#Level/Course#

Grade!7!

Primary#Topic(s)#

Recognize!and!represent!proportional!relationships,!use!proportional!relationships!to!
solve!multiVstep!problems,!construct!and!interpret!scatter!plots!

Common#Core#Standards#
#
#

Launch!Activity:!

7.RP.2,!7.RP.3!

Project!Task!(A):!

6.RP.3b,!7.RP.3,!8.SP.1!

Project!Task!(B):!

7.RP.1,!7.RP.3,!7.EE.3,!8.SP.1!

Estimated#Duration#

Five!Class!Meetings!(at!60V80!minutes!per)!

Resources#

The!majority!of!the!materials!needed!for!the!project!are!included!in!this!document.!
However,!the!launch!activity!includes!an!interactive!component!which!is!available!at!
onyourmark.mathalicious.com!

!
Created#by#Mathalicious#in#collaboration#with#BIE.#Distributed#under#Creative#Commons#license#CCDBYDNC.#

On#Your#Mark#

a#Mathalicious#project#

About#Mathalicious#
Mathalicious!creates!lessons!around!realVworld!topics!that!help!middle!and!highVschool!teachers!address!the!Common!
Core! while! challenging! their! students! to! think! more! critically! about! the! world.! Lessons! explore! such! questions! as,! Do'
people'with'small'feet'pay'too'much'for'shoes,'and'should'Nike'charge'by'weight?!(unit!rates),!and!How'does'memory'
deteriorate'over'time,'and'how'much'can'you'trust'it?!(exponential!decay).!For!more!information,!or!to!view!its!growing!
library!of!lessons,!please!visit!www.mathalicious.com.!

About#Mathalicious#Projects#
ProjectVbased! learning! (PBL)! provides! students! a! unique! opportunity! to! engage! meaningfully! and! authentically! with!
mathematics,!and!is!an!effective!way!to!address!not!only!the!Common!Core!content!standards,!but!also!the!higherVorder!
Mathematical! Practices.! At! the! same! time,! projectVbased! learning! may! be! unfamiliar! to! many! teachers.! OpenVended,!
studentVled! inquiry! may! feel! new! and! even! overwhelming,! while! the! timeline! often! afforded! projects! may! not! be!
feasible! given! math! teachers! constraints! and! testing! pressures.! Mathalicious! projects! are! intended! to! help! teachers!
transition! into! projectVbased! learning,! and! serve! as! a! useful! on! ramp! to! this! form! of! inquiryVbased! instruction.!
Mathalicious!projects!take!approximately!five,!60V80!minute!class!meetings.!!Each!project!consists!of!three!components:!

1. Launch#Activity#(2#class#meetings)#
The!launch!activity!sets!the!stage!for!the!project,!and!revolves!around!a!single!guiding!question.!It!is!a!conversation!
for!the!whole!class!(with!the!possibility!for!small!group!breakout!discussions),!scaffolded!in!a!way!that!helps!ensure!
discrete!learning!outcomes,!yet!is!also!openVended!enough!to!provide!for!authentic!student!inquiry!and!discussion.!
This!activity!is!intended!to!take!two!class!meetings,!and!includes!a!student#handout,!lesson#guide,!and!interactive#
media.!The!interactive!media!is!essential!to!the!lesson!and!is!found!at!onyourmark.mathalicious.com.!

2. Project#Tasks#(2#class#meetings)#
After!the!launch!activity,!students!will!spend!the!next!few!days!working!as!autonomously!as!possible!in!small!groups!
on! a! project! task! of! their! choice.! Each! project! task! explores! a! question! that! extends! the! topic! introduced! in! the!
launch! activity.! For! instance,! in! the! launch! activity! for! NewVTritional! Information,! students! calculate! how! long!
people!have!to!exercise!to!burn!off!different!menu!items!from!McDonalds.!In!one!of!the!project!tasks,!they!survey!
schoolmates!to!determine!whether!rewriting!the!menu!in!terms!of!exercise!(as!opposed!to!calories)!has!an!effect!on!
which!foods!people!order.!In!another,!they!create!a!menu!tailored!to!themselves!(or!a!friend)!based!on!body,!diet,!
and!exercise!preferences.!In!cases!like!this,!where!there!are!multiple!tasks,!students!can!choose!which!to!explore.!

3. Presentation#(1#class#meeting)#
To! conclude! the! project,! students! present! their! findings.! This! is! a! great! opportunity! to! share! their! mathematical!
thinking,!as!well!as!to!develop!important!communication!skills.!
Timeline#for#a#Mathalicious#Project#
Meeting!1!

Meeting!2!

Meeting!3!

Launch!Activity!
!

Meeting!4!

Project!Task(s)!
2!

Meeting!5!
Presentations!

On#Your#Mark#

a#Mathalicious#project#

Planning#the#Launch#Activity#
To! get! started,! visit! the! activity's! page! at! onyourmark.mathalicious.com.! The! Plan! tab! provides! an! overview! of! the!
content!and!links!to!downloadable!resources.!To!thoroughly!prepare!the!launch!activity,!complete!the!problems!on!the!
Student! Handout! yourself,! and! read! through! the! Lesson! Guide.! The! Lesson! Guide! anticipates! student! responses,!
common! misconceptions,! and! provides! guiding! questions! and! deeper! understanding! questions.! Then,! familiarize!
yourself! with! the! interactive,! multimedia! presentation! on! the! Teach! tab.! A! rehearsal! of! the! launch! activity! may! be! in!
order,!especially!to!help!anticipate!the!guiding!questions!that!will!be!especially!important!for!your!students.!

Teaching#the#Launch#Activity#
During! the! launch! activity,! youll! display! the! presentation! (from! the! Teach! tab! on! the! lesson's! page! at!
onyourmark.mathalicious.com)!using!your!classroom's!projector.!!It!includes!all!the!questions!from!the!student!handout,!
as!well!as!media!and!interactive!tools.!Use!the!question!buttons!to!progress!through!the!activity,!and!note!that!some!
questions!may!contain!more!than!one!button!to!show!different!media!elements.!!

Planning#the#Project#Tasks#
The! project! tasks! are! openVended,! but! we! have! anticipated! what! students! might! find! for! you.! ! The! intention! is! that!
students! choose! one! of! the! project! tasks! to! explore! in! small! groups.! ! Print! the! Project# Planning# Sheet,! the! Student#
Handout,!and!the!Teacher#Guide!for!each!project!task.!The!Teacher!Guide!will!give!you!an!idea!of!what!students!might!
find!as!they!investigate!the!task,!and!what!math!they!can!be!expected!to!do!in!the!process.!Use!the!student!materials!in!
the! way! that! will! best! serve! your! students.! The! Student! Handout! includes! subVsteps! that! break! the! driving! question!
down! into! more! manageable! chunks,! as! well! as! a! list! of! presentation! ideas.! ! The! Project! Planning! Sheet! is! a! less!
scaffolded!advance!organizer!that!students!can!use!to!map!out!their!own!plan!of!attack!on!the!question!they!chose!to!
pursue.!It!does!not!include!projectVspecific!prompts,!and!will!be!challenging!for!students!without!experience!designing!
project!plans.!!You!may!decide!to!only!give!students!one!or!the!other,!or!you!may!decide!to!give!them!both.!

Teaching#the#Project#Options#
Describe!the!question!at!the!heart!of!each!project!task,!and!allow!students!to!choose!one.!Distribute!the!documents!you!
have! decided! to! provide,! as! well! as! any! additional! materials! they! might! need! (laptops,! rulers,! etc.).! For! two! days,!
students!should!be!given!as!much!selfV!and!groupVdirected!time!as!possible!to!research!their!project,!make!conjectures!
and! evaluate! them,! and! create! artifacts! in! support! of! their! conclusions.! The! project! days! provide! an! excellent!
opportunity!to!differentiate!support!and!work!more!closely!with!students!who!are!struggling.!As!students!are!working,!
use!the!information!in!the!Teacher!Guide!to!support!and!help!focus!their!inquiry.!

Student#Presentations#
The! final! day! is! reserved! for! students! to! present! their! findings! to! each! other! or! a! larger! audience.! ! The! nature! of! the!
presentation! will! depend! on! their! project! task,! and! how! they! decide! to! best! display! their! findings.! They! might! create!
anything! from! a! calculator! program,! to! a! pamphlet! or! poster,! to! a! more! traditional! oral! presentation! with! supporting!
visuals.!!Both!the!teacher!and!student!handouts!offer!presentation!ideas!for!each!project!option.!
!

3!

On#Your#Mark#

a#Mathalicious#project#

Activities#and#Materials#
Launch#Activity:#On#Your#Mark#
Do'taller'Olympic'sprinters'have'an'unfair'advantage?'
Jamaican! sprinter! Usain! Bolt! is! fastvery! fast.! ! Hes! also! tallvery! tall.! ! At! 1.96! meters!
(65),!Bolt!towers!over!his!competition.!!So!does!this!give!him!an!unfair!advantage,!and!
what!would!happen!if!instead!of!everyone!running!the!same!distance,!Olympic!sprinters!
ran!distances!based!on!their!heights?!
In! this! launch! activity,! students! use! proportions! to! determine! what! would! happen! if!
Olympic!races!were!organized!differently.!!Would!Bolt!still!win?!!If!sports!like!boxing!and!
wrestling!have!weight!classes,!should!track!have!height!classes?!
Standards#

Materials#

7.RP.2#

Recognize!and!represent!proportional!relationships#

7.RP.3#

Use!proportional!relationships!to!solve!multiVstep!problems#

Student!Handout!

Pages'6@7'of'this'document'

Lesson!Guide!

Pages'8@13'of'this'document'

Interactive!Media!

onyourmark.mathalicious.com'

!
Project#Task#A:#Field#Day#
Whats'the'fairest'way'to'determine'whos'the'fastest'student'in'your'class?'
This! project! is! most! effective! as! a! wholeVclass! task! before! the! On' Your' Mark! launch!
activity.!!Students!hit!the!track!and!run.!!They!return!to!class,!measure!their!heights!and!
discuss!any!relationship!between!height!and!running!time.!!Do!taller!students!finish!first?!!
Students! then! move! on! to! the! content! of! the! launch! activity,! On' Your' Mark.! After!
exploring!what!would!have!happened!in!the!100Vmeter!mens!event,!students!revisit!their!
own! data.! ! Assuming! they! ran! the! adjusted! distance! at! the! same! speed! as! the! original!
race,!would!the!results!have!been!the!same?!!Students!predict!their!adjusted!race!times,!
and!then!return!to!the!track!to!race!proportional!distances.!How!were!their!predictions?!
Standards#

Materials#

#
!

6.RP.3b#

Solve!unit!rate!problems!incl.!constant!speed!

7.RP.3#

Use!proportional!relationships!to!solve!multiVstep!problems#

8.SP.1#

Construct!and!interpret!scatter!plots#

Student!Handout!

Page'15'of'this'document'

Teacher!Guide!

Pages'16@17'of'this'document'

Sample!Data!File!

Download'from'onyourmark.mathalicious.com'
4!

On#Your#Mark#

a#Mathalicious#project#

#
Project#Task#B:#The#Quick#and#the#Tall#
Should'the'IOC'change'racing'events'so'that'distances'are'proportional'to'athletes'heights?'
Students!have!already!explored!the!relationship!between!height!and!finishing!time!in!the!
2012!mens!Olympic!100!m!sprint,!but!what!about!other!events?!!Are!the!effects!similar!
for!women?!!What!about!swimming?!
In! this! project! task,! students! will! choose! another! type! of! Olympic! race! to! research,! and!
then! analyze! their! data.! ! Would! the! results! be! different! if! this' event! were! organized!
proportionally?! ! In! light! of! new! evidence,! what's! the! verdict:! should! the! International!
Olympic!Committee!change!race!distances!based!on!height?!
Standards#

Materials#

7.RP.1#

Compute!unit!rates#

7.RP.3#

Apply!proportional!relationships#

7.EE.3#

Solve!multiVstep!realVlife!and!mathematical!problems!

8.SP.1#

Construct!and!interpret!scatterplots!

Student!Handout!

Pages'18'of'this'document'

Teacher!Guide!

Pages'19@20'of'this'document'

Sample!Data!File!

Download'from'onyourmark.mathalicious.com'

5!

licensed#under#CC?BY?NC#

ON#YOUR#MARK#

name!

Should#Olympic#sprinters#run#distances#based#on#their#heights?#

date!

Act#One:#Lightning#Bolt?#
1 In! the! 2012! London! Olympics,! Jamaican! sprinter! Usain! Bolt! won! the! gold! medal! in! the! mens! 100! meter! dash,!

finishing!in!9.63!seconds.!!Bolt!was!the!fastest!runner.!!He!was!also!the!tallest.!!At!1.96!meters!tall!(around!65),!
Bolt!was!much!taller!than!the!silver!and!bronze!medalists,!Yohan!Blake!and!Justin!Gatlin.!
Imagine!if!instead!of!running!the!same!distance,!sprinters!ran!distances#based#on#their#heights.!!Below,!calculate!
how!many!times!his!height!Usain!Bolt!ran.!!Then,!if!Blake!and!Gatlin!ran!this!same%multiple%of%their%heights,!how!
far!would!they!have!to!go?!!Draw!this!below.!

1.96m!

Usain!Bolt!
!
100!m!
!
!

!
09.63!s!

!
!

#######!#######times#your#height#dash#

1.80m!

!
Yohan!Blake!
!
100!m!
!
!

!
09.75!s!

1.85m!

Justin!Gatlin!
!
100!m!
!
!

!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 09.79!s!

2 Yohan!Blake!ran!100!meters!in!9.75!seconds,!while!Justin!Gatlin!ran!it!in!9.79!seconds.!!If!they!ran!as!fast!as!they!
did!in!London,!how!long!would!it!take!them!to!run!their!new!distancesand!would!Usain!Bolt!still!win!the!race?!

6!

2#

Act#Two:#Gatlin#Gun#
3 Usain! Bolt! doesnt! have! to! be! the! one! to! run! 100! meters.! ! If! Justin! Gatlin! were! the! athlete! chosen! to! run! 100!
meters,!how!far!would!Bolt!and!Blake!have!to!runand!who!would!win!gold,!silver!and!bronze!now?!

1.85m!

Justin!Gatlin!
!
100!m!
!
!

!
09.79!s!

1.80m!

Yohan!Blake!
!
100!m!
!
!

!
09.75!s!

1.96m!

Usain!Bolt!
!
100!m!
!
!

!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 09.63!s!

4 The!graphs!below!show!the!results!of!the!100!meter!finals!for!the!Olympics!since!2000:!on!the!left,!the!actual!

results;! on! the! right,! what! would! have! happened! if% sprinters% had% run% distances% proportional% to% their% heights.!!
Based!on!this,!do!you!think!the!International!Olympic!Committee!should!change!how!far!sprinters!run?!!Explain.!
Time!vs.!Height!!(Actual)!

Time!vs.!Height!!(Adjusted)!

10.20!s!

10.40!s!

10.0!s!

9.70!s!

9.80!s!

9.0!s!

9.60!s!
1.6!m!

1.7!m!

1.8!m!

1.9!m!

8.30!s!
2.!m! !
1.6!m!

!
!

!
7!

1.7!m!

1.8!m!

1.9!m!

2.!m! !

licensed&under&CC.BY.NC&

lesson&
guide&

ON&YOUR&MARK&

Do&taller&Olympic&sprinters&have&an&unfair&advantage?&

!
Jamaican!sprinter!Usain!Bolt!is!fastvery!fast.!!Hes!also!tallvery!tall.!!At!1.96!
meters! (65),! Bolt! towers! over! his! competition.! ! So! does! this! give! him! an!
unfair!advantage,!and!what!would!happen!if!instead!of!everyone!running!the!
same!distance,!Olympic!sprinters!ran!distances!based!on!their!heights?!

In! this! lesson! students! use! proportions! to! determine! what! would! happen! if!
Olympic!races!were!organized!differently.!!Would!Bolt!still!win?!!If!sports!like!
boxing!and!wrestling!have!weight!classes,!should!track!have!height!classes?!

!
Primary&Objectives&
&
Given!the!heights!of!three!sprinters,!calculate!how!far!theyd!have!to!run!for!their!distances!to!be!proportional!
Given!the!sprinters!original!racing!times,!determine!how!long!it!would!take!each!to!run!his!adjusted!distance!
Use!scatterplot!data!to!discuss!whether!the!International!Olympic!Committee!should!organizes!races!
proportionally!

!
!

Content&Standards&(CCSS)&
Grade!7!

!
!

&
RP.2,!RP.3!

Mathematical&Practices&(CCMP)&

Materials&

&
MP.1,!MP.3,!MP.4!

&
Student!handout!
LCD!projector&
Computer!speakers&

Before&Beginning!
This!lesson!requires!that!students!use!proportions!to!calculate!adjusted!running!distances!and!new!running!times.!!
However,!the!process!by!which!students!do!this!is!fairly!intuitive!(and!also!fairly!scaffolded),!and!does!not!require!
prior!knowledge!of!proportions.!!In!fact,!this!lesson!can!be!an!effective!way!to!introduce!proportionality.!
!
!

8!

Lesson&Guide:&ON&YOUR&MARK&

&

9&

&
Preview&&&Guiding&Questions&
Students!watch!a!video!of!the!Mens!100!meter!finals!from!the!2012!London!
Olympics,!in!which!Jamaican!sprinter!Usain!Bolt!easily!wins!the!gold.!!After!
the! race,! students! see! a! picture! of! the! three! medalists.! ! At! 1.96! meters! !
around!65!!Bolt!is!clearly!the!tallest,!and!students!discuss!whether!they!
think!this!gives!him!an!unfair!advantage.!
Some! might! think! that! Bolts! height! does! not! give! him! an! advantage,! and!
that!he!wins!simply!because!he!trains!hard.!!(After!all,!the!shortest!sprinter!
Yohan!Blake,!Usain!Bolt,!Justin!Gatlin!
still! came! in! second.)! ! Other! students! might! say! that! his! height! does! give!
him! an! advantage,! but! not! an! unfair! one.! ! Meanwhile,! others! might! say! that! the! race! is! unfair.! ! The! goal! isnt! to!
decide!one!way!or!the!other.!!Instead,!its!to!get!students!to!consider!the!possibility!that!taller!sprinters!might!have!
an!advantage,!and!to!discuss!ways!that!the!International!Olympic!Committee!might!correct!for!this.!!

Do0you0think0taller0sprinters0have0an0advantage?00If0so,0is0it0an0unfair0advantage?0
Are0there0any0Olympic0events0in0which0athletes0are0organized0by0physical0characteristic?00(SoAcalled0strength0
events0like0boxing0and0weight0lifting0are0organized0by0weight,0while0every0event0is0organized0by0gender.)0
What0are0some0ways0that0the0IOC0might0reorganize0track0events,0and0should0they?00(The0IOC0could0have0
athletes0compete0in0height0classes,0or0even0have0taller0sprinters0run0farther0than0shorter0ones.)00

!
Act&One&
In!Act!One,!students!use!the!heights!of!the!three!medalists!to!calculate!how!far!each!sprinter!would!run!if!he!ran!a!
distance&proportional&to&his&height.!!If!the!1.96`meter!Usain!Bolt!is!chosen!to!run!the!100!meters,!then!he!would!be!
running!approximately!51!times!his!height.!!Students!then!conceive!of!the!race!no!longer!as!the!100!meter!dash,!
but!instead!as!the!51&times&your&height&dash.!!Using!this,!they!calculate!how!far!Blake!and!Gatlin!would!each!have!
to!run!in!this!new!scenario.!!The!tantalizing!question!is,!If!the!London!race!had!been!organized!like!this,!who!would!
have!won?!!Using!the!original!times!for!the!100!m!race,!students!calculate!how!long!it!would!take!for!each!sprinter!
to!run!his!new!distance.!!When!they!do,!students!find!that!Bolt!would!no!longer!win!gold,!but!bronze.!
!
Act&Two&
Act!One!had!Usain!Bolt!running!the!100!meters.!!In!Act!Two,!students!consider!what!would!happen!if!Justin!Gatlin!!
the!second!tallest!racer!!were!the!one!chosen!to!run!100!meters.!!Now!students!think!of!the!race!as!the!54!times!
your! height! dash.! ! Apart! from! the! numbers! themselves,! though,! the! rankings! are! the! same:! Bolt! still! runs! the!
farthestand! still! places! third.! ! Mathematically,! the! goal! is! for! students! to! understand! the! implication! of!
proportionality:!that!a!different!benchmark!height!wont!change!the!outcome,!but!will!simply!scale!the!results.!
Finally,!students!look!at!data!of!the!100!m!results!from!the!previous!four!Olympic!games.!!One!scatterplot!shows!the!
actual! time0 vs.0 height! results,! while! the! other! shows! the! proportional! results! (had! the! race! been! organized! by!
height).!!In!the!first,!there!seems!to!be!little!relationship!between!height!and!running!time.!!In!the!second,!though!!
i.e.!when!taller!sprinters!have!to!run!farther!!shorter!racers!are!at!a!clear!advantage.!!Students!use!these!to!discuss!
whether! the! IOC! should! indeed! reorganize! the! race! by! height,! and! may! conclude! that! doing! so! would! unfairly!
disadvantage!taller!sprinters.!!In!other!words,!the!attempt!to!make!the!race!fair!might!in!fact!might!it!even!less!so.!
9!

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Lesson&Guide:&ON&YOUR&MARK&

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Act&One:&Lightning&Bolt?&
1 In! the! 2012! London! Olympics,! Jamaican! sprinter! Usain! Bolt! won! the! gold! medal! in! the! mens! 100! meter! dash,!

finishing!in!9.63!seconds.!!Bolt!was!the!fastest!runner.!!He!was!also!the!tallest.!!At!1.96!meters!tall!(around!65),!
Bolt!was!much!taller!than!the!silver!and!bronze!medalists,!Yohan!Blake!and!Justin!Gatlin.!
Imagine!if!instead!of!running!the!same!distance,!sprinters!ran!distances&based&on&their&heights.!!Below,!calculate!
how!many!times!his!height!Usain!Bolt!ran.!!Then,!if!Blake!and!Gatlin!ran!this!same0multiple0of0their0heights,!how!
far!would!they!have!to!go?!!Draw!this!below.!
Usain!Bolt!
1.96m!

1000m001.960m0=051!

100!m!

!
09.63!s!

!
!

&

&&&&&&51&&&&&&times&your&height&dash&

&

!
Yohan!Blake!
1.80m!

!
!
!

1.800m00510=091.8%m! 100!m!
!

!
09.75!s!

Justin!Gatlin!
1.85m!

!
!
!

1.850m00510=094.4%m! 100!m!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

!
09.79!

!
0

Explanation&&&Guiding&Questions&
It! may! be! tempting! to! have! students! calculate! the! proportional! distances! by! using! cross`multiplication.! ! Unless!
students!understand!the!mathematics!behind!it!!namely,!reciprocal!multiplication!!this!process!may!seem!like!a!
random! math! trick.! ! Instead,! it! may! be! more! helpful! to! think! of! the! new! distance! as! a! multiple! of! the! athletes!
height;!if!we!appoint!Usain!Bolt!as!the!benchmark!!the!one!to!run!the!100!meters!!then!this!multiple!will!be!51.!

Will0Blake0and0Gatlin0have0to0run0a0longer,0or0shorter,0distance0than0Bolt?0
If0Usain0Bolt0is01.960meters0tall0and0runs01000meters,0how0many0times0his0height0is0this?0
If0Yohan0Blake0and0Justin0Gatlin0each0ran0510times0their0height,0how0far0would0they0run?0
Deeper&Understanding&

If0Justin0Gatlin0were0the0benchmark00the0one0chosen0to0run01000meters00what0would0be0true0of0the0Bolt0and0
Blake?00(Bolt0would0run0more0than01000meters,0while0Blake0would0run0less.)0
Instead0of0510times0his0height,0how0else0could0we0figure0out0how0far0Blake0should0run?00(Students0might0
reason0that0Blake0is01.8/1.960=091.8%0as0tall0as0Bolt,0so0should0run091.8%0as0far.)0
10!

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Lesson&Guide:&ON&YOUR&MARK&

&

2 Yohan!Blake!ran!100!meters!in!9.75!seconds,!while!Justin!Gatlin!ran!it!in!9.79!seconds.!!If!they!ran!as!fast!as!they!
did!in!London,!how!long!would!it!take!them!to!run!their!new!distancesand!would!Usain!Bolt!still!win!the!race?!

Yohan0Blake0is0running091.8m/100m0=091.8%0as0far0as0he0did0in0London.00If0he0runs0at0the0same0rate,0it0should0take0
him091.8%0as0long.0091.8%0of09.750seconds0=00.918009.750seconds0=08.950seconds.00Meanwhile,0Gatlin0is0running0
94.4%0as0far0as0he0did0in0London0so0should0take094.4%0of09.790seconds0=09.240seconds.00Since0Bolt0is0running0the0
same0distance,0his0time0will0be0the0same.00Based0on0this,0Blake%would%win%gold,%Gatlin%silver,%and%Bolt%bronze!0
0
Explanation&&&Guiding&Questions&
If!students!are!comfortable!with!percents,!they!might!calculate!the!new,!adjusted!times!using!the!method!above.!!
However,!there!are!many!valid!ways!for!students!to!solve!for!the!new!times.!!Some!might!set!up!proportions:!
Bolt!

Blake!

Gatlin!

time
9.63!s
t
:!
!=!
!
distance 100!m 100!m

time
9.75!s
t
:!
!=!
!
distance 100!m 91.84!m

time
9.79!s
t
:!
!=!
!
distance 100!m 94.39!m

Alternatively,!they!could!calculate!each!sprinter's!London!speed,!and!then!divide!it!into!their!adjusted!race!distance:!
Blake!

Gatlin!

speed!in!London:!100!m!!9.75!s!=!10.26!m/s!
time!to!run!91.8!m:!!91.8!m!!10.26!m/s!=!8.95&s!

speed!in!London:!!100!m!!9.79!s!=!10.21!m/s!
time!to!run!94.4!m:!!94.4!m!!10.21!m/s!=!9.24&s!

If! students! calculate! the! speeds,! they! still! may! need! help! determining! the! new! times.! ! In! this! case,! consider!
reiterating!what!speed!really!means!!Yohan!Blakes!speed!of!10.26!m/s!means!that,!every!second,!he!runs!another!
10.26! meters! ! and! using! the! diagram! below! to! determine! the! new! time.! ! Though! this! wouldnt! necessarily! help!
them!find!the!exact!time!of!8.95!seconds,!it!would!help!them!estimate.!!The!91.84!meters!that!Blake!now!has!to!run!
is!between!82.08!and!92.34!meters,!which!means!his!time!must!be!between!8!and!9!seconds!(and!closer!to!9).!
91.84&m&
&
10.26!m&

20.52!m&

30.78!m&

41.04!m&

51.30!m&

61.56!m&

71.82!m&

82.08!m&

92.34!m!

1!sec!

2!sec!

3!sec!

4!sec!

5!sec!

6!sec!

7!sec!

8!sec!

9!sec!

What0is0Blakes0new0distance0(91.840meters)0as0a0percent0of0his0original0distance0(1000meters)?0
If0Blake0is0running091.8%0as0far,0how0long0should0it0take0him0to0run0as0a0percent0of0his0original0time?0
What0is091.8%0of09.750seconds?0
If0Blake0originally0ran01000meters0in09.750seconds,0how0far0did0he0run0each0second,0i.e.0what0was0his0speed?0
If0Blake0ran010.260meters0every0second,0how0long0would0it0take0him0to0run0his0new0distance0of091.840meters?0
Deeper&Understanding&

Will0the0fastest0sprinter0necessarily0win0the0new0race?00(No.00It0depends0on0how0far0everyone0has0to0run.)0
In0London,0do0you0think0Blake0really0ran0at0a0constant0speed0of010.260meters0per0second?00(Sprinters0start0
from0a0standstill0and0speed0up.0010.260m/s0was0Yohan0Blakes0average0speed0over0the0entire01000meter0race.)0
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Lesson&Guide:&ON&YOUR&MARK&

&

1
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Act&Two:&Gatlin&Gun&
3 Usain! Bolt! doesnt! have! to! be! the! one! to! run! 100! meters.! ! If! Justin! Gatlin! were! the! athlete! chosen! to! run! 100!
meters,!how!far!would!Bolt!and!Blake!have!to!runand!who!would!win!gold,!silver!and!bronze!now?!
Justin!Gatlin!
1.85m!

1000m001.850m0=054!
!

!
100!m!
!
09.79!s!

!
Yohan!Blake!

1.80m!

!
0
!

1.800m00540=097.2%m! 100!m!
!
09.48%s& 09.75!s!

Usain!Bolt!
1.96m!

!
!

!!!1.960m00540=0105.8%m!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

!
09.63!s!!!!10.19&s&

!
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Explanation&&&Guiding&Questions&
Before,!Usain!Bolt!was!appointed!the!benchmark:!the!person!to!run!100!meters.!!Now,!Justin!Gatlin!is.!!Even!before!
calculating! anything,! students! should! recognize! that! since! Blake! is! shorter! than! Gatlin,! hell! run! less! than! 100!
meters.!!Since!Bolt!is!taller!than!Gatlin,!hell!run!farther!than!100!meters.!!Assuming!they!use!the!same!times!your!
height!dash!method!as!before!to!calculate!the!adjusted!distances,!students!will!multiply!Blakes!and!Bolts!height!
by!54!to!determine!their!new,!adjusted!distances.!!This!is!the!easy!part.!!!
The!more!difficult!part!is!determining!the!adjusted!times,!and!students!will!likely!use!whichever!method!they!used!
before:!percents,!proportions,!or!speed.!!For!instance,!Blake!has!to!run!97.2!meters,!which!is!97.2%!of!his!original!
distance.!!Therefore!wed!expect!it!to!take!him!97.2%!as!long,!or!0.972!!9.75!seconds!=!9.48!seconds.!
Just!as!before,!when!we!adjust!the!race!by!height,!Blake!comes!in!first,!Gatlin!second,!and!Bolt!third.!!Since!they!all!
ran!different!distances,!it!took!them!different!amounts!of!time.!!But!the!medal!order!remains!the!same.!

If0Gatlin0is0the0benchmark0to0run01000meters,0will0Blake/Gatlin0run0shorter/farther0than0this?0
How0many0times0his0height0is0Gatlin0running,0and0based0on0this0how0far0will0Blake0and0Bolt0have0to0run?0
As0a0percent,0how0far0is0Blake0running0compared0to0the0distance0in0London?0
As0a0percent,0how0long0will0it0take0Blake0to0run0his0new0distance0compared0to0his0time0in0London?0
Deeper&Understanding&

How0precise0should0our0calculations0be?00Could0we0just0round0everyones0time0to0the0nearest0tenth,0e.g.0
Blakes0new0time0is09.50sec?00(Since0Olympic0races0are0so0close,0they0are0timed0to0the0nearest00.010seconds.)0
What0do0you0expect0would0happen0if0Blake0were0the0benchmark?00(Since0hes0the0shortest0sprinter,0Gatlin0
and0Bolt0would0each0have0to0run0farther0than01000meters.00However,0the0medal0results0would0be0the0same.)0
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Lesson&Guide:&ON&YOUR&MARK&

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4 The!graphs!below!show!the!results!of!the!100!meter!finals!for!the!Olympics!since!2000:!on!the!left,!the!actual!

results;! on! the! right,! what! would! have! happened! if0 sprinters0 had0 run0 distances0 proportional0 to0 their0 heights.!!
Based!on!this,!do!you!think!the!International!Olympic!Committee!should!change!how!far!sprinters!run?!!Explain.!
Time!vs.!Height!!(Actual)!

Time!vs.!Height!!(Adjusted)!

10.20!s!

10.40!s!

10.0!s!

9.70!s!

9.80!s!

9.0!s!

9.60!s!
1.6!m!

1.7!m!

1.8!m!

1.9!m!

2.!m! !

8.30!s!
1.6!m!

1.7!m!

1.8!m!

1.9!m!

2.!m! !

Sample0 response:0 0 In0 the0 original0 situation,0 there0 didnt0 seem0 to0 be0 a0 relationship0 between0 height0 and0 running0
time.0 0 When0 the0 races0 are0 organized0 proportionally,0 though,0 taller0 sprinters0 are0 at0 a0 clear0 disadvantage0 while0
shorter0sprinters0are0at0a0clear0advantage.00Based0on0this,0the0IOC0should0not0change0how0it0organizes0races,0as0it0
would0give0an0unfair0advantage0to0shorter0sprinters.00(And0isnt0the0point0to0make0the0race0more0fair,0not0less?)
0
Explanation&&&Guiding&Questions&
If!students!are!able!to!interpret!the!scatterplots,!this!should!be!a!lively!discussion.!!The!first!thing!students!must!do!
is!recognize!what!the!axes!represent.!!The!horizontal!axis!represents!the!heights!of!the!runners,!while!the!vertical!
axis!represents!their!running!times.!!Thus,!the!graph!shows!us!how!adjusting!the!height!affects!the!time.!
In!the!scatterplot!on!the!left!!the!actual!results!from!previous!Olympics!!the!data!seems!randomly!scattered.!!This!
suggests!that!theres!not!much!of!a!relationship!between!a!runners!height!and!his!running!time,!which!is!a!good!
thing,!for!fairness'!sake;!it!means!that!taller!sprinters!dont!necessarily!have!an!advantage!over!shorter!ones.!
However,! when! we! reorganize! the! races! based! on! height! and! re`run! them,! we! get! the! scatterplot! on! the! right.!!
Here,!students!should!recognize!that!the!taller!the!sprinter,!the!higher!his!time.!!The!shorter!the!sprinter,!the!lower!
his!time.!!In!this!case,!adjusting!the!race!by!height!seems!to!give!shorter!sprinters!an!advantage.!!In!fact,!it!almost!
makes! the! results! seem! pre`determined,! which! is! exactly! what! we! were! trying! to! avoid!! ! Based! on! this,! students!
might!reasonably!conclude!that!not!only!is!reorganizing!this!race!a!bad!idea,!its!actually!counter`productive.!

What0does0the0horizontal0axis0of0each0scatterplot0represent?00What0does0the0vertical0axis0represent?0
On0the0left0graph,0where0are0the0fastest0sprinters0located?00Where0are0the0slowest?00Shortest?00Tallest?0
On0the0left0graph,0as0someone0gets0taller,0what0happens0to0the0running0time?00On0the0right0graph?0
If0you0were0a0tall0sprinter,0which0results0would0you0prefer00the0left0or0right00and0why?00If0you0were0short?0
The0graph0on0the0right0suggests0that0the0taller0you0are,0the0longer0your0time.00Is0this0what0we0want?0
Deeper&Understanding&

Do0you0think0there0are0races0where0shorter0or0taller0people0actually0do0have0an0advantage?00(It0turns0out0that0
shorter0people0seem0to0have0an0advantage0in0longer0races0such0as0the050000meter.00According0to0some0
scientists,0their0bodies0are0more0efficient0over0longer0distances.)0
Can0you0think0of0other0sports0where0height0might0give0you0an0advantage0over0your0competitors?00(Michael0
Phelps0is0very0tall,0so0perhaps0he0has0an0advantage0in0the0swimming0pool.00Also,0its0possible0that0taller0highA
jumpers0and0shorter0wrestlers0might0have0an0advantage0in0their0respective0sports.)0
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Restate#the#question#in#your#own#words.#

#
#
Hypothesize#an#answer.#

How#will#you#know#when#youve#answered#it?#

What#calculations#will#you#do?#

What#information#do#you#need?#

How#will#you#get#it?#
What#equipment#do#you#need?#

How#will#you#use#the#information#or#
calculations#to#answer#the#driving#question?#

How#will#you#organize#or#display#it?#

How#will#you#present#your#findings#
in#final#form?#

#
#

#
#

Day#by#day#goals:#

14#

FIELD&DAY&

project!task,!ON!YOUR!MARK!

licensed&under&CC3BY3NC&

Who! in! your! class! is! the! best! runner?! ! You! may! have! some! ideas,! but! the! answer!
depends! on! what! we! mean! by! best.! ! Is! it! someone! who! can! run! 100! meters!the!
fastest?!!Or!are!there!factors!(such!as!height)!that!give!some!people!an!advantage?!
In! this! project,! youll! race! against! your! classmates! to! see! who! can! run! a! certain!
distance! in! the! least! amount! of! time.! ! Then! youll! learn! how! to! adjust! the! race! so!
that!everyone!runs!a!distance!proportional!to!his!or!her!height,!and!will!predict!how!
long!it!would!take!everyone!to!run!this!new!race.!!Finally,!youll!actually!run!this!new!
race,! and! compare! the! finishing! times! to! your! predictions.! ! How! close! were! your!
predictions!to!reality?!!And!which!type!of!race!do!you!prefer?!&
!
Driving&Question&
Whats!the!fairest!way!to!determine!whos!the!fastest!student!in!your!class?!
!
What&Youll&Do&
1. Run!a!100Qmeter!race!with!your!classmates,!and!record!everyones!finishing!time.!
2. Record!everyones!height.!
3. Learn!how!to!adjust!a!runners!distance!to!be!proportional!to!his!or!her!height,!and!predict!how!long!each!
of!your!classmates!would!need!to!run!a!proportional!race.!
4. Return!to!the!track!and!run!a!distance!proportional!to!your!height.!!Record!everyones!new!time.!
5. Compare!the!actual!times!from!your!second!race!to!your!predictions,!and!form!an!opinion!as!to!which!
type!of!race!you!prefer.!
!
Ideas&for&Presentations&
! A! completed! data! sheet! that! includes! records! of! everyones! original! race! time,! height,! adjusted! race!
distance,!predicted!adjusted!race!time,!and!actual!adjusted!race!time!
! A!scatterplot!of!your!classmates,!showing!the!relationship!between!height!and!finishing!time!
! A!scatterplot!of!your!classmates,!showing!the!relationship!between!height!and!adjusted!finishing!time!
! A!comparison!of!predicted!vs.!actual!times!for!the!second!race,!and!an!explanation!for!any!differences!
! A!recommendation!as!to!whether!the!rules!for!track!events!at!your!school!should!be!changed!
!

15!

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FIELD&DAY&

project!task!teacher!guide,!ON!YOUR!MARK!

licensed&under&CC3BY3NC&

Driving&Question&

Materials&

Whats!the!fairest!way!to!determine!whos!the!fastest!
student!in!your!class?!

One!computer!with!Excel!for!every!two!students!
Teacher!Spreadsheet.xls!and!Student!Spreadsheet.xls!
Track/Field!to!conduct!student!races!
Meter!Sticks/Measuring!Tape!
Stopwatches!
Gold/Silver/Bronze!Medals!(optional)!

Overview&
This!project!is!most!effective!as!a!wholeRclass!activity!begun!before!the!On#Your#Mark!core!lesson.!!Students!will!hit!
the!track!and!run.!!They!then!return!to!the!class,!measure!their!heights!and!discuss!whether!theres!a!relationship!
between!height!and!running!time.!!In!particular,!do!taller!students!tend!to!finish!first?!!
Students! then! move! on! to! the! content! of! the! launch! activity,! On# Your# Mark.! ! In! this! lesson,! students! explore! what!
would!happen!if!Olympic!races!didnt!have!fixed!distances,!but!instead!had!people!run!distances!proportional!to!their!
heights:!the!taller!you!are,!the!farther!you!run.!!After!exploring!what!would!have!happened!in!the!100Rmeter!mens!
event,!students!return!to!their!own!data.!!Assuming!they!ran!the!adjusted!distance!at!the!same!speed!as!the!original!
race,!would!the!results!have!been!the!same?!!Students!predict!their!adjusted!race!times,!and!then!return!to!the!track!
to!race!again.!!This!time,!the!distance!a!student!runs!will!be!proportional!to!his!or!her!height.!!Do!their!predictions!
agree!with!their!new!race!times?!
Common&Core&Standards&
6.RP.3b!
7.RP.3!
!
8.SP.1!

Solve!unit!rate!problems!incl.!constant!speed!
Use!proportional!relationships!to!solve!multiR
step!problems!
Construct!and!interpret!scatter!plots!

Common&Core&Mathematical&Practices&
MP.2!
MP.5!
MP.6!

Reason!abstractly!and!quantitatively!
Use!appropriate!tools!strategically!
Attend!to!precision!

Time!(sec)!

Sample&Approach&&&Conclusion&

17.00!

Students! go! to! the! track! and! run! a! preRmeasured!

distance,!ideally!100!meters.!!Students!use!stopwatches!
to!time!one!another!and!record!their!results!and!that!of!
their!peers!in!the!Student!Handout.!!After!everyone!has!
run,! the! three! fastest! runners! will! (optionally)! be!
awarded!gold,!silver!and!bronze!medals.!!To!the!left!is!an!
example! of! what! the! relationship! between! height! and!
running!time!might!look!like!for!a!100Rmeter!race.!

16.00!
15.00!
14.00!
13.00!
12.00!
1.40!

Collect!and!analyze!data!for!fixedRdistance!and!proportionalRdistance!races.!

1.50!

1.60!

1.70!
1.80! ! Note:# the# student# handout# does# not# distinguish# between#
Height!(m)! boys#and#girls,#and#we#suggest#lumping#them#all#together#
16!

Project&Task:&FIELD&DAY&

!
for# the# purposes# of# this# exercise# (pardon# the# pun).##
Students# who# dont# want# to# run# can# be# made# official#
timekeepers.# # Also,# we# recommend# running# 100# meters.##
If# you# choose# a# shorter# distance,# like# the# length# of# a#
basketball#court,#the#data#wont#be#as#useful#later.!!!

Student!Racing!Data!
Time&
New& New&Time& New&Time&
(sec)&
Dist.(m)& (sec),&est.& (sec),&actual&

Height&
(m)&
1.75!
1.71!
1.71!
1.56!
1.64!
1.53!
1.69!
1.55!
1.56!
1.66!
1.68!
1.62!
1.70!
1.47!
1.52!
1.53!
1.67!
1.56!
1.56!
1.47!

13.98!
13.01!
14.03!
15.28!
13.60!
14.53!
12.99!
13.33!
14.57!
14.85!
14.69!
14.67!
15.49!
13.79!
13.47!
12.59!
13.74!
13.08!
14.24!
14.71!

100!
97.80!
97.46!
89.00!
93.48!
87.24!
96.67!
88.78!
89.07!
95.10!
95.93!
92.29!
97.40!
84.08!
86.71!
87.66!
95.26!
89.19!
89.39!
84.00!

13.98!
12.73!
13.67!
13.60!
12.71!
12.67!
12.56!
11.84!
12.98!
14.13!
14.10!
13.54!
15.08!
11.60!
11.68!
11.04!
13.08!
11.67!
12.73!
12.36!

14.00!(+.02)!
12.71!(R.02)!
13.59!(R.08)!
13.91!(+.31)!
12.69!(R.02)!
12.88!(+.21)!
12.54!(R.02)!
12.01!(+.17)!
13.05!(+.07)!
14.16!(+.03)!
14.07!(R.03)!
13.66!(+.12)!
15.01!(R.07)!
12.03!(+.43)!
12.11!(+.43)!
11.44!(+.40)!
13.07!(R.01)!
11.98!(+.31)!
12.89!(+.16)!
12.72!(+.36)!

After! students! have! raced! and! plotted! their! data,! they!

learn! in! the! On# Your# Mark# lesson! how! to! calculate!
distances! that! are! proportional! runners! heights.! ! Once!
this! is! complete,! students! adjust! their! own! class! data! to!
estimate!what!their!times!would!have!been!had!the!race!
been!run!proportionally.!!The!table!on!the!left!shows!how!
the!times!would!be!adjusted.!The!tallest!student!(1.75!m)!
is!the!benchmark,!i.e.!the!one!who!runs!100!m.!
Students! then! run! a! race! where! the! distances! are!
adjusted! proportionally.! ! Actual! times! for! this! new! race!
are!in!the!rightmost!column!of!the!table,!and!differences!
between!actual!and!estimated!times!are!in!parentheses.!!
In! this! example,! most! of! the! actual! times! were! slower!
than!anticipated.!!This!may!be!because!the!time!it!takes!
students! to! reach! their! top! speed! is! the! same! in! both!
races.!!If!they!run!a!shorter!distance,!the!time!they!are!at!
their!top!speed!will!be!less,!resulting!in!a!slower!average!
speed!and!longer!running!time!than!expected.!
Finally,! below! is! a! graph! of! estimated! running! times!
versus! heights.! ! While! there! doesnt! seem! to! be! a! clear!
pattern! between! heights! and! 100Rmeter! running! times!
for! this! set! of! students,! there! does! seem! to! be! a! slight!
trend!in!favor!of!shorter!runners!when!the!distances!are!
adjusted! according! to! height.! ! Therefore,! its! probably!
unfair!to!have!runners!run!distances!proportional!to!their!
heights,!at!least!for!this!set!of!students.!

!Adjusted!Time!(sec),!est.!

16.00!
15.00!
14.00!
13.00!
12.00!
1.40!

1.50!

1.60!

Note:# if# the# winning# students# received# medals# after# the#

first# race,# you# can# have# students# vote# on# which# type# of#
race#they#prefer#at#the#end#of#the#project.##The#outcome#
of# the# election# can# be# used# to# decide# which# students#
1.70!
1.80! ! ultimately#get#to#keep#the#medals!!
Height!(m)!
&

Presentations&Ideas&

Poster!with!scatterplots!for!both!original!and!proportionally!adjusted!race!times&
PowerPoint!presentation!explaining!the!pros!and!cons!for!each!set!of!racing!rules&
Letter!or!report!to!the!P.E.!department!outlining!evidence!for!or!against!a!change!in!racing!rules&
Video!presentation&&
!

17!

THE$QUICK$AND$THE$TALL$

project!task,!ON!YOUR!MARK!

licensed$under$CC7BY7NC$

Youve! already! explored! the! relationship! between! height! and! finishing! time! in! the!
2012! mens! Olympic! 100! m! sprint,! but! what! about! other! events?! ! Are! the! effects!
similar!for!women?!!What!about!swimming?!
In! this! project,! youll! choose! another! type! of! Olympic! race! to! research,! and! then!
youll!analyze!your!data.!!Would!the!results!be!different!if!this%event!were!organized!
proportionally?! ! In! light! of! your! new! evidence,! what! do! you! think:! should! the!
International!Olympic!Committee!change!race!distances!based!on!height?!$
!
Driving$Question$
Should!the!IOC!change!racing!events!so!that!distances!are!proportional!to!athletes!heights?!
!
What$Youll$Do$
1. Choose!an!Olympic!race!where!you!think!an!athletes!height!might!give!him!or!her!an!advantage.!
2. Research!race!results!for!your!event!over!the!past!few!Olympics.!!In!particular,!you!will!need!to!record!

the!official!race!time!for!each!athlete!
each!athletes!height!

3. Calculate!adjusted!distances!so!that!each!athlete!must!race!a!distance!proportional!to!his!or!her!height.!
4. Calculate!the!time!it!would!take!each!athlete!to!complete!the!adjusted!race.!
5. Make!a!recommendation!(including!evidence)!to!the!IOC!about!whether!the!event!should!be!changed!so!
that!athletes!race!distances!proportional!to!their!heights.!
!
Ideas$for$Presentations$
! A!spreadsheet!containing!the!results!of!your!chosen!race!for!at$least!the!last!three!Olympic!games!
! A!scatterplot!of!your!athletes,!showing!the!relationship!between!height!and!finishing!time!
! A!spreadsheet!showing!the!proportionally!adjusted!race!distances!and!times!(this!can!all!be!on!the!same!
sheet!as!the!original!race!data)!
! A!letter!or!presentation!to!the!IOC!with!your!recommendations!(including!evidence)!as!to!whether!or!not!
the!event!should!be!organized!so!that!athletes!race!distances!proportional!to!their!heights!
!

18!

THE$QUICK$AND$THE$TALL$

project!task!teacher!guide,!ON!YOUR!MARK!

licensed$under$CC7BY7NC$

Driving$Question$

Materials$

Should!the!IOC!change!racing!events!so!that!distances!are!
proportional!to!athletes!heights?!

Student!laptops!or!computer!lab!
Internet!access!

Overview$
Once! students! have! explored! the! idea! that! proportionally! adjusting! individual! race! distances! has! a! huge! impact! on!
the!results!for!the!mens!100!m!sprint,!one!natural!question!is!whether!or!not!other!events!show!a!similar!correlation!
between!height!and!speed.!!!Is!it!better,!in!general,!for!an!Olympic!racer!to!be!tall?!!What!implications!might!that!
have!for!the!way!Olympic!events!are!organized?!!In!this!project,!students!research!a!different!Olympic!racing!event!
and!see!what!would!have!happened!had!the!race!been!organized!proportionally.!!They!then!determine!which!type!of!
event!(fixed!distance!or!proportional!distance)!is!the!fairest!way!to!crown!a!champion,!and!explain!why.!
Common$Core$Standards$
7.RP.1!
7.RP.3!
7.EE.3!
8.SP.1!

Common$Core$Mathematical$Practices$

Compute!unit!rates!
Apply!proportional!relationships!
Solve!multiWstep!realWlife!and!mathematical!
problems!
Construct!and!interpret!scatterplots!!

MP.3!
MP.5!

Construct!viable!arguments!and!critique!others!
Use!appropriate!tools!strategically!
!

!
Sample$Approach$&$Conclusion:$

Analysis!of!the!mens!100!m!Butterfly!from!2000!!2012.$

!
2012!Men's!100!m!Butterfly!
Athlete$Name$

Height$(m)$

Adjusted$
Dist.$(m)$

Adjusted$
Time$(s)$

Michael!Phelps!

1.93!

100.00!

51.21!

Chad!le!Clos!
Yevgeny!
Korotyshkin!
Milorad!avi!

1.84!

95.34!

51.44!

1.86!

96.37!

51.44!

1.98!

102.59!

51.81!

Steffen!Deibler!

1.85!

95.85!

51.81!

Joeri!Verlinden!

1.80!

93.26!

51.82!

Tyler!McGill!
Konrad!
Czerniak!

1.80!

93.26!

51.88!

1.95!

101.04!

52.05!

In! the! example! to! the! left,! students! collected! the! data!
from!the!finals!of!the!mens!100!m!butterfly!over!the!past!
four! Olympic! games,! for! a! total! of! 32! data! points.! ! They!
then! adjusted! the! race! distances! proportionally! (using!
the! winner! of! each! event! as! the! benchmark! for! that!
particular! race),! and! calculated! the! athletes! projected!
times! for! the! new,! adjusted! race! (assuming! that! they!
swam!at!the!same!speeds!they!did!in!the!original!100!m!
event).! ! The! table! to! the! left! is! a! sample! portion! of! the!
spreadsheet! showing! the! adjusted! distances! and! times!
for!the!2012!finals.!
To! help! show! any! trends! in! the! data,! students! can! also!
construct! scatterplots! of! the! data! for! both! the! original!
(actual)!races!and!the!adjusted!(hypothetical)!ones.!

!
19!

Project(Task:(THE(QUICK(AND(THE(TALL(

!
In! this! case,! there! is! a! negative! relationship! between!
height!and!finishing!time!in!the!historical!races!(implying!
that!taller!swimmers!tend!to!finish!races!faster),!although!
it!doesnt!seem!to!be!particularly!strong.!

Finishing!Time!(sec)!

Time(vs.(Height(((Original)(

54!
53!
52!

When!the!race!distances!are!adjusted!proportionally,!the!
relationship!between!height!and!time!both!reverses!and!
gets!stronger,!meaning!that!the!shorter!swimmers!would!
have!a!distinct!advantage!in!a!proportional!race.!!In!fact,!
the! tallest! swimmer! in! each! race! would! have! finished!
dead$last!in!the!previous!four!Olympic!finals.!

51!
50!
49!
48!
1.7!

1.8!

1.9!

Although!historical!data!over!the!past!12!years!seems!to!
support!the!claim!that!taller!swimmers!tend!to!do!better!
in! the! Olympics,! students! would! likely! not! recommend!
that! the! International! Olympic! Committee! adjust! swim!
distances! based! on! athletes! heights.! ! To! do! that! would!
just!swing!the!advantage!in!the!other!direction!!toward!
the! shorter! swimmers! ! and! actually! make! the! problem!
much! worse.! ! It! doesnt! seem! fair! to! handicap! taller!
athletes! to! the! point! where! it! basically! becomes!
impossible!for!them!to!win!at!all.!

2! !
Height!(m)!

Finishing!Time!(sec)!

Time(vs.(Height(((Proportional)!

54!
53!
52!
51!
50!

Sources(for(Olympic(Data(

49!

http://www.london2012.com/athletics/!
http://www.london2012.com/swimming/!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_Summer_Olympics!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_at_the_Summer_Olympics!
http://www.sportsNreference.com/olympics/!

48!
1.7!

1.8!

1.9!

2! !
Height!(m)!

(
Presentations(Ideas(

Poster!with!scatterplots!for!both!original!and!proportionally!adjusted!race!times(
PowerPoint!presentation!for!the!IOC!explaining!the!case!either!for!or!against!changing!the!rules(
Letter!or!report!to!the!IOC!outlining!evidence!for!or!against!the!change(
Video!presentation((
!

20!