A Childs Growth and

Prosperity
When a new baby enters this world, pediatricians will monitor the babys growth in many
areas. Weight, head circumference, length, and body mass index are just a few of the
measurements collected as newborns progress through childhood. Parents of newborns
are not only concerned with their childs measurements, but they typically consider their
childs medical and financial needs, too.

As you complete the task, keep these questions in mind: How can you use linear
functions to describe and analyze measurements associated with babies growth? How
can you use functions to calculate college savings and to determine how much
medicine to administer?
Directions:
Complete each of the following tasks, reading the directions carefully as you go.
You will be graded on the work you show, or your solution process, in addition to your
answers. Make sure to show all of your work and to answer each question as you
complete the task. Type all of your work into this document so you can submit it to your
teacher for a grade. You will be given partial credit based on the work you show and the
completeness and accuracy of your explanations.
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Your teacher will give you further directions on submitting your work. You may be asked
to upload the document, e-mail it to your teacher, or hand in a hard copy.
Now lets get started!

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Step 1: Rate of change, slope, and writing linear functions

Pediatricians will measure and track the growth of an infants weight and length to be
sure the baby is thriving and growing properly. The growth of baby girl Grace is
displayed in the data table below.

Growth Chart for Baby Girl Grace

(430 Months)
Months

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

Length
(inches)

20

21.
5

23

24.
5

26

27.
5

29

30.
5

32

33.
5

35

36.
5

38

39.5

a) Use the data in the table to find the rate of change in the length of baby girl Grace.
(2 points)

b) Write a linear equation for the graph in point-slope form. Show your work. (2 points)

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c) Use your equation to determine how long Grace was at birth. Show your work and
explain how you can check your result using your knowledge of rate of change. (3
points)

d) Based on the data, how long do you predict baby Grace will be at 36 months of age?
Use the rate of change to justify your answer. Does your answer make sense?
Explain. (2 points)

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Step 2: Comparing linear functions

The growth of baby girl Claire is displayed in the graph below.

Growth Chart for Baby Girl Claire

50
40
30
Length (Inches) 20
10
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Age (Months)

a) Determine the slope of the line. Show your work. (2 points)

b) Is baby girl Claire growing at a faster rate than baby girl Grace? Justify your answer.
(2 points)

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c) Use point-slope form to write a linear equation to represent the growth of Claire over
time. Then, simplify the equation and write it in slope-intercept form. Identify the yintercept. Show your work. (3 points)

d) Based on the data, how long was Claire at birth? Explain. (2 points)

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Step 3: Applying linear functions

Grace and Claires parents are saving money now for their college education. Function
1 shows the growth of baby Graces college fund over time. Function 2 shows growth of
baby Claires college fund over time.

Function 1: Annual Growth of Baby Girl Graces College Fund

y = 1,000x + 7,600

Function 2: Baby Girl Claires College Fund

$25,000
$20,000
$15,000
$11,600
$10,000
Money (dollars) $10,000

$13,200

$14,800

$16,400

$18,000

$19,600

$21,200

$5,000
$0
3

11

13

15

17

Age (years)

a) If Grace and Claires parents each invested $7,600 into a college saving account
when the girls were born, how much money will each girl have for college when she
turns 18? Explain. (2 points)

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b) Do the functions show a positive or negative correlation between time and the
amount of money saved? Explain. (1 point)

Step 4: Identifying functions as linear or nonlinear

As infants grow from a toddler to a young adult, there may be times when they are ill
and medication is needed. It is extremely important that medication be administered in
the exact dose so the child receives the correct amount. Too little or too much
medication could have serious side effects. A popular childrens fever medicine
manufacturer recommends the following dosage information to parents and
pediatricians.
Childrens Fever Medicine
(given every 46 hours, as needed)

Weight

24+ lbs

36+ lbs

48+ lbs

60+ lbs

72+ lbs

Dosage

5 mL

7.5 mL

10 mL

12.5 mL

15 mL

a) Evaluate the data and find the rate of change from one age group to the next.
Explain how you found the rate of change. (2 points)

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b) Is the relationship between weight and the amount of medicine linear? Explain. (2
points)

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