Chapter 3 Review
Chapter 3 - Day 14
Chapter 3
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
All Chapters
Activity: Is anchored putting better? The finale.
Activity:
Answer Key:
Today we finally got to conduct our experiment! When we started this chapter, the students had designed their own experiments in their groups. As the chapter went on, it became evident that the best way to test the putter effectiveness would be to have one, whole class experiment. This allows for more subjects and better data.
Preparation
You will need:
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2 putters: 1 long and 1 short
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2 “holes” (we used paper circles)
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2 golf balls
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Materials for random assignment (we used a class list and random number generator)
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Tape measure or meter sticks
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1 copy of the review for each student
The Experiment
We began by outlining what the day was going to look like for the students. Front loading is really important, not just for content but also for behavior. Explicitly describe to the students what kind of behavior you want to see and what you DO NOT want to see. This might seem childish, but it works. The experiment will take a while to conduct. When students are not putting, they should be working in their groups on the review. They can complete everything up to the “Data Collection” portion right away.
As they are working, start the data collection for the class. We did the random assignment in front of the class using a numbered class list and a random number generator. This really cemented the idea of how to do a random assignment for the students. Ignoring repeats had more meaning when we actually had to do it. It was no longer just something we say when describing. However, if you are concerned with time, you could do the random assignment before class.
After the students are split into the two groups, call students forward to make their putts. We arranged our “putting greens” at the front of the room by taping down the paper circles and measuring 8 feet away for the starting mark. Make sure to give yourself plenty of room past the holes because the golf balls will go pretty far past them. We wanted to bring in AstroTurf but weren’t able to get any in time. That would have really slowed the putts down. Have each student putt using the putter of their assignment and measure how far from the hole the ball stops in cm. If the ball rolls OVER the hole, that’s a hole-in-one and the distance should be marked 0 cm. Write the distances in a table on the board. Students should record the data in their review (question #11).
Once everyone has putted, students can continue working through the rest of the review.
Margin of Error: They will need to use “One Quantitative Variable” in the applet for this meaning they can only use one set of the data. We had them use the data for the long putter. Point this out to students. When they’re done, they can add a second group for the short putter data.
Statistical Significance: Students will calculate the mean distance from the hole for each type of putter and find the difference. They have already entered their data in the applet so now they should select “Simulate difference in two means” under the Perform Inference menu. Simulate the difference in two means for 50 samples. They can then decide if they think the long putter is better than the short putter according to the 5% cutoff.
Take some time at the end of class to allow for wrap-up and reflection. Hopefully most questions were already answered in the groups, but if you heard many groups with the same questions you should take the time to address it.
Teaching Tip:
Dress the part! Our students loved that we dressed in golf clothes. They thought it was really funny. Some of them dressed up too. It was a memorable day for all of us!