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Student Page 2.3.3 The Hare and the Tortoise
A4US

The Hare and the Tortoise extends the work you began in Can You Walk These Graphs? Now consider a race between two unlikely contestants. You will draw a graph to represent each contestant's movement and explain how you know each graph is correct. You will also analyze and interpret additional graphs of the Hare's performance in subsequent races. Finally, you will create your own graph and story to accompany it.

Taken together, these activities, Can You Walk These Graphs? and The Hare and the Tortoise, help you bring your extensive familiarity with traveling from one place to another to bear on your learning first about graphs and then about linear functions.

A hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the tortoise. The latter, laughing, said, ā€œThough you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race.ā€ The hare, deeming her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the fox should choose the course, and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race they started together. The tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The hare, trusting to his native swiftness, cared little about the race, and lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue. ā€‰29ā€‰

ā€•Aesop (translated by George Fyler Townsend)

1.

(a)

On the coordinate grid in FigureĀ 2.3.3.1, draw a graph to illustrate the tortoise's distance from the starting line over the time it took her to complete the race.

Figure 2.3.3.1. Coordinate Grid for The Hare and the Tortoise
(b)

On the same grid in FigureĀ 2.3.3.1, draw a graph to illustrate the hare's distance from the starting line over the time it took him to complete the race.

(c)

Explain how you know each graph fits the story.

2.

Study FigureĀ 2.3.3.2, FigureĀ 2.3.3.3, FigureĀ 2.3.3.4, and FigureĀ 2.3.3.5. Each graph shows the hare's movement in subsequent races.

Figure 2.3.3.2. Hare Movement: Graph A
Figure 2.3.3.3. Hare Movement: Graph B
Figure 2.3.3.4. Hare Movement: Graph C
Figure 2.3.3.5. Hare Movement: Graph D
(a)

Where on the axes would it make sense to mark the starting line set by the fox?

(b)

Where on the axes would it make sense to mark the finish line set by the fox?

(c)

Write a story to go with each race. Describe specifically how the hare is moving:

  • Where does the hare start the race? Finish the race?

  • At what time does the hare start the race? Finish the race?

  • How fast is the hare moving on each tiem interval compared to his speed on the other time intervals?

  • What direction is the hare moving?

  • How do the start and finish times and locations compare from race to race?

3.

Write your own travel story. Draw a graph using FigureĀ 2.3.3.6 to illustrate the characters' distance from a starting location at each time during their travels.

Figure 2.3.3.6. Blank Graph for Your Own Travel Story

4.

Reflections:

(a)

What clues do you look for in a travel story to help you create a graph to model the time and travel?

(b)

What clues do you look for in a graph to help you interpret the graph in terms of time and travel?