Steep fall hikes
Mt. Washington, NH
Fall is a beautiful time of year for hiking. Many students will be walking in the woods and mountains to enjoy the colorful leaves and the cool weather outside. Let them combine what they are doing with their families and friends with a little mathematics about percent grade change. Why are there warnings about a 6% road grade change ahead? Why does everyone talk about the vertical gain on a trail that is only 3 miles long? Enjoy using slope and the Pythagorean Theorem in a new way.
CCSS: 7.EE.3, 8.F.4, 8.G.7, 8.G.8, MP.1, Mp.2, MP.6
And for members we have an editable Word.doc and a solution guide.
One Comment
Thanks for this, Leslie. I have also wondered what the precise measurement was to convert a slope into a percentage, and I enjoyed your explanation.
I filmed a podcast in Switzerland, where I talked about slope and maths; you might be interested: http://www.classroomprofessor.com/?p=361