Problem Overview

Problem

Problem Title: Car Wreck Problem Course: Algebra 1 Author(s): Tara Craig

Mr. Fancher and Ms. Craig got in a car accident, where both of them were not hurt! Manor Police Department showed up as Ms. Craig and Mr. Fancher were arguing over who was at fault for the accident. Ms. Craig, in her Ford Ranger, said Mr. Fancher was speeding, and that was what caused the accident. Mr. Fancher in his 2400 lb. Dodge Caravan claimed that he was going the posted speed limit, 45mph. The police officer measured the skid marks from the Dodge Caravan slamming on breaks to be 96 feet long. Assuming the road surface constant, k=.00001 and using the fact that length of skid marks as a function of speed is l=kws2 where w=the weight of the car, was Mr. Fancher lying? Use math to justify your argument.

Standards/Big Ideas Addressed The student uses the necessary algebraic skills (simplifying square roots, solving square roots, substitution, solving single variable multi-step equations) required to simplify and compare algebraic expressions and solve equations and inequalities in real-life problem situations. Likely units/big ideas that came before this problem Simplifying numeric expressions containing negative and positive integers following the proper order of operations. Likely units/big ideas that come after this problem

Assumptions about Student Prior Knowledge Students should already know The order of operations. The square root of perfect squares. Varying levels of familiarity with solving/ simplifying algebraic expressions.

Phase Roll out (k/ntk/next steps)

Facilitation Notes Anticipated Student Notes/tips including time Action for phase
Students will likely identify these knows: Mr. Fanchers car is 2400lbs. The speed limit was 45mph 15 minutes Take a time to have a few groups present their Knows/ Need to Knows/ Next Steps. In between presentations allow other students to extend and debate some of the knows/

Assessment
Give a small work ethic grade for each student that extends/ elaborates or presents their Knows/NTKs/NS

Mr. Fanchers skid marks were 96 feet long. The road surface constant, k=0.00001 l=kws2 l=length of the skid marks k=the road surface constant w=the weight of the car s=the speed traveled when the car slams on breaks

ntks/ next steps presented. [This is where some of the lower students are able to get ideas from other groups. This will help them brainstorm more for the solution.]

Students will likely identify these need to knows: What is a road surface constant? How long were Ms. Craigs skid marks? What is a function? How long would the skid marks be if Mr. Fancher was going the posted speed limit? How fast was Mr. Fancher going? Students will likely identify these next steps: Determine how the formula could help us figure out how long the skid marks would be if Mr. Fancher was going the posted speed limit. Define road surface constant. Try to figure out why the speed is squared. Determine how fast Mr. Fancher was going.

Student work time

Let groups engage in some next steps, as long as everyone has a next step. In

20 minutes Recommend different students with different colors of pen, all

Quick check collaboration: Check for equal color

the classroom, it is a good idea to publicly elicit from every group what their next step will be. Some students will go straight to working out how long the skid marks would be if Mr. Fancher was going 45mph (Suggest to these more advanced groups that they need to also figure out how fast Mr. Fancher must have been going/ It may also be helpful to have these more advanced groups expain to the other groups why the speed is squared). Some groups will want to define each variable of the formula, mainly road surface constant. Many students will come up with very interesting physics inquiries, it may be helpful to have your Physics teacher on call when you run this problem if you are not as comfortable with the physics.

working on same large piece of paper. To groups that arent making progress, you might want to offer hints to some that are stuck, as you circulate around. Example:What my skid marks look like if I was driving a golfcart 15 mph and slammed on the breaks v. if I was driving a semi-truck 15 mph and slammed on breaks? Why are the two situations different? Depending on when in the year you give this problem, some students may need a refresher workshop on exponents. Some students may need a refresher (either activity or workshop) on solving equations for one variable. (Especially if they are trying to figure out the speed, given the length.)

distribution on the groups paper. Also, informal/formative assessment of mathematical skill.

Sharing out

When the groups have made some progress, it is helpful to have a fishbowl or critical friends for one or two of the groups. This allows all of your students to see how differently others are attacking the problem. They also may get an idea that they didnt have before. If you choose to do a fish bowl, here are some possible questions to ask the group in the fish bowl. Why did they multiply the speed by itself, instead of just multiplying it by two? Is it possible that he could have been driving slower, than the speed limit? How do you know? What are some ways to justify mathematically? Why did they write . 024 instead of .0001 x

Each group should take about 10 minutes. Pick at least 2 groups to present, and pick groups that are approaching the problem differently. Also, pick at least one group that is approaching the problem correctly.

Great opportunity for students to receive informal feedback from their peers (thumbs up/down/sideways, or something similar) on Oral Communication.

2400?

Work time*

As a class revisit Need to knows. You should be able to cross off What is the road surface constant. There will be more, now, like How do we use math to show Mr. Fancher is guilty? How do you find the square root of 4000? Elicit some next steps. Set up an (in)equality between Simplify the square roots, and compare with perfect square roots. Have students work on the final product. Students that finish early should look at one of the extension problems provided below.

40-50 minutes.

Direct instruction * (this can occur at different times, as long as students work on the problem first)

Work shops: Comparing and simplifying square roots. How long would skid marks be if I was driving a 2000 lb car 25 mph? Un-doing a squared symbol. Solving multi-step equations for one variable.

15 minutes (on a need to know basis)

Final Action on Problem

EACH student will turn in a formal case-study written to the judge that includes: Strictly using mathematics, Is Mr. Fancher guilty? How do you know? All math must be shown in write-up and written in a manner that the judge (without any Algebra knowledge) can understand. The teacher should pick the about 3 groups to present that had the most interesting findings (different process, different ways of justifying, etc.) After each presentation have students use critical friends protocol for giving feedback

10 minutes per group.

All groups receive work ethic grade according to the extent to which they finish the work in class. Those that turn in case study receive Critical thinking, Work Ethic, Written Communication, and Content grades.

to peers. (I like I wonder next steps)

*These are typically optional, depending upon the nature/quality of the initial sharing out of students.

Extension

Follow Up 2 possibilities: 1. Why is the speed squared? 2. What is the formula in terms of the speed? 1. (The following question was taken from a state assessment) The volume of a rectangular prism is given by the function V=lwh. What is the height, h, of a rectangular prism with width, w=20 cm and length, l=30 cm, and Volume, V=9,000 cm2 A. 5 cm B. 10 cm C. 15 cm D. 20 cm 2. If y=x2+20 and y=45, what is x equal to? A. 5 B. 10 C. 15 D. 20 3. (The following question was taken from a state assessment) A physicist determines the kinetic energy of a moving particle by multiplying one-halv the particles mass, m, by the square of the particles velocity, v. The kinetic energy is best represented by--A. B. C.

Practice Problems

mv 2 2

(mv )

2v 2 m
2

2 mv D. 2

Solution to Problem
*Note: students do not need to get all three solutions given here.

PROBLEM: Mr. Fancher and Ms. Craig got in a car accident, where both of them were not hurt! Manor Police Department showed up as Ms. Craig and Mr. Fancher were arguing over who was at fault for the accident. Ms. Craig, in her Ford Ranger, said Mr. Fancher was speeding, and that was what caused the accident. Mr. Fancher in his 2400 lb. Dodge Caravan claimed that he was going the posted speed limit, 45mph. The police officer measured the skid marks from the

Dodge Caravan slamming on breaks to be 96 feet long. Assuming the road surface constant, k=.00001 and using the fact that length of skid marks as a function of speed is l=kws2 where w=the weight of the car, was Mr. Fancher lying? Use math to justify your argument.

Solution 1: How long would the skid marks be if Mr. Fancher was going the posted speed limit?

l=kws2 plugging in what I know, I find that: l=.00001(2400)452 The length should be 48.6 feet.

Solution 2: How fast was Mr. Fancher going?

l=kws2 96=.00001(2400)s2 96=.024s2 4000=s2 sqrt(4000)=sqrt(s2) 20*sqrt(10)=s

But I know, 10>9 So, 20*sqrt(10)>20*sqrt(9)=60 So, Mr. Fanchers speed was greater than 60 miles per hour, which is well above the posted speed limit.

Solution 3: l=kws2 Does 96=.00001(2400)452 ? 96=48.6? NO So, Mr. Fancher was not going the posted speed limit, if his skid marks were 96 ft long.