How wide is the school seal, embedded in the bricks, at the entrance to Danforth Hall?
Last week, William Bander, Middle School Science Teacher, had his students answer that question as they learned about the metric system. As part of the lab, eighth graders took several measurements, including the height of the Danforth steps, the distance to the curb, the distance they could jump, throw a ball, and more. “The purpose of the lab was to get a practical understanding of the metric system,” said Bander. “Particularly the relationship between millimeters, centimeters, and meters (the base unit).” The calculations could be done anywhere, but moving beyond the classroom helped students apply the information to real-world situations. “By going outside and measuring familiar items, the students were able to relate otherwise abstract units with something concrete and relatable,” Bander explained.
Once back in the classroom, students began to convert their measurements into more useful numbers. “We converted the really large and small measurements into scientific notation,” Bander noted. “For example, Charlie Miller ’30 tossed a ball 30,000 mm, or 3 x 10^4 mm. This is useful for comparing different-sized numbers without using different units of measure.” Gibson Walker ’30 found the exercise to be helpful. “I believe the metric system is easier than the imperial system because the numbers are to the power of ten,” he said. “The numbers are much cleaner and easier to work with.” To Walker’s point, the school seal in front of Danforth Hall is about 1.36 meters wide, or 136 cm, or 1360 millimeters, if you prefer.
Great job, Middle School mathematicians!