canine conj

Using data for Proportional

A family dog supplies the measurements for scatter plots
and variables so that students can explore relationships
among data setsnot to mention paws and tails.

Arla Westenskow and Patricia S. Moyer-Packenham

No person, place, or thing can capture
the attention of a class of sixth graders
like mans best friend. To prompt
students interest in a series of lessons
on proportional relationships, we
brought in a unique teaching aid
a dog. Students used dog data and
scatter plot applets to explore various
relationships in a lesson called Canine
Conjectures. A visit by a live dog provided the motivation while electronic
technologies allowed data to be efficiently processed, freeing students to
focus on reasoning, observing patterns,
decision making, and problem solving.
During the first day of the lesson,
students were introduced to a scatter
plot, and they learned to use two
variables that produced a linear
relationship. During the
second day, students explored
the concept of two variables
that were not directly proportional and that resulted
in data points scattered
around a line of best fit. In
the final lesson, students

26

investigated pairs of student-selected

variables using the scatter plot to make
conjectures about characteristics of real
dogs. The lessons used the scatter plot
applet found at the National Library of
Virtual Manipulatives site (see http://
nlvm.usu.edu). When students
entered two sets of data, the computer developed an approximate
line of fit (a regression line) for
the data, calculated the mean
and the r-value (the correlation
coefficient), and gave an equation
describing the approximate line
of fit.

MatheMatics teaching in the Middle school

Vol. 17, No. 1, August 2011

Copyright 2011 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. www.nctm.org. All rights reserved.
This material may not be copied or distributed electronically or in any other format without written permission from NCTM.

daY 1: canine caRgo

The objectives of the first lesson were
to introduce scatter plots, show students how to enter data into a plotter,
and introduce the concept of a direct

jectures:

NATALIYA kUZNeTSoVA/ISToCkPHoTo.CoM

Reasoning

Vol. 17, No. 1, August 2011

MatheMatics teaching in the Middle school

27

linear relationship. The applet used

in this lesson allowed the data to be
entered in various ways and gave an
explanation of the scatter plots functions. We began the lesson by reading
Counting on Frank (Clement 1991).
The boy in the story makes many
calculations based on relationships, including how many replicas of his dog,
Frank, would fit in his bedroom.
As we read the book, the students
made their own estimates. (Although
the books creative illustrations piqued
students interest, this lesson can be
completed without the book.) After
reading the story, we looked again at
the page showing how many dogs the
boy could fit into his bedroom, and
asked, How could the boy determine
how many dog kennels would fit in his
room? We gave students the follow-

ing measurement information about

the kennel and the boys room:
 he bottom of each dog kennel is
T
1 ft. 2 ft. Each kennel stands 3 ft.
tall. The room is 12 ft. 18 ft. 9 ft.
The evenly divisible dimensions
allowed students to use a simple division method to divide the volume of
the room by the volume of the dog
kennel (i.e., 1944 cubic feet 6 cubic
feet = 324 dog kennels).
After this introduction, we gave
students a reference sheet containing
information about the dimensions and
area of various vehicles (see fig. 1). We
asked students to calculate the volume
of the cargo holds found in several
vehicles to determine the number of
dog kennels that would fit into each

Fig. 1 Students were given information about various vehicles. Although the volume for
each vehicle was accurate, the dimensions, simplified for student use, were less accurate.

Vehicle

Dimensions

Space shuttle Length: 30 ft.

Width: 12 ft.
Height: 6 ft.
Volume: 2160 ft.3

Semitrailer

Length: 42 ft.
Width: 12 ft.
Height: 12 ft.
Volume: 6048 ft.3

Hopper barge Length: 510 ft.

Width: 108 ft.
Height: 30 ft.
Volume: 1,652,400 ft.3

28

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School

Vol. 17, No. 1, August 2011

vehicle. Because the kennels would

not necessarily pack perfectly into the
cargo holds, dividing the volume of
the cargo hold by the volume of the
dog kennel would probably produce
an overestimation. Although the quotient would include combinations of
partial kennels that might fit near the
edges of the cargo hold, real-world
kennels would not. Therefore, when a
student selected a vehicle that did not
allow for perfect packing and used the
simple-division method to calculate
the number of kennels that would fit
into the cargo hold, this number was
actually an estimate.
Some of the students presentations
revealed that they were actively thinking about the packing issue when they
drew pictures of the physical arrangement of the kennels. Other students
made conjectures about the best arrangement to maximize the space and
orientation of the kennels, keeping in
mind that more kennels might fit into
the vehicle if they were oriented vertically. However, this orientation was
not desirable because a dog would not
be comfortable inside an up-ended
kennel.
After sharing their solutions,
students were ready to enter the data
on a scatter plot. We found that the
graph was more visually friendly if we
instructed students to set the range for
the x-value and y-value (the lowerleft section of the applet) to 10 points
above their highest data value. Students entered the cargo-hold volume
in the left column (x) and the number
of dog kennels in the right column (y)
(see fig. 2).
When students entered the two
sets of data, the computer developed
an approximate line of fit (a regression line), the mean, the r-value
(the correlation coefficient), and an
equation describing the approximate
line of fit. The approximate line of fit
is a visual tool used to make a general
estimate of the strength and direc-

DAY 2: CANINEyCOMPARISONS
The second days lesson focused on
the use of scatter plots to determine
the relationships among groups of
data that were not directly proportional and, therefore, scattered around
the approximate line of fit. First, we
considered the relationship between
life expectancy and the size of the

Arla Westenskow

tion of the relationships between data

groups. When students entered data
into the scatter plot, they observed
changes in the approximate line of fit,
the clustering of data points, and the
r-value. This helped students discover
relationships and patterns in the data
and to understand the effects of additional data points and outliers on
the regression line and the correlation
coefficient.
It was important to establish the
concept of a direct linear relationship
because past experience had taught us
that some sixth-grade students have
difficulty understanding this concept.
We asked students to move the cursor along the approximate line of fit.
They were surprised to discover that
every pair of coordinates, reflecting
the simple division method, had the
same 6:1 ratio. Although students
understood that the approximate line
of fit connected their data, they had
not understood that all points on
the line would be values in the same
proportion.
To further establish this concept,
we asked them to use the approximate
line of fit to predict the number of
dog kennels that could be placed in
randomly picked sizes of cargo holds.
Although our class used the simple
division method of comparing the
values of x with their corresponding
x
values of y to determine the 6:1 ratio,
this ratio can also be determined by
x
comparing the means x and y found
in the lower-right corner of the scatter
plot display (e.g., x = 1861, and y =
y
310; the ratio is approximately 6:1).

A dogs height is an example of

continuous data; friendliness is
a discrete-data factor.

Fig. 2 The number of dog kennels (y) that will fit into different-sized cargo holds (x)
produced a direct linear relationship.

dog. Then students considered the

relationship between intelligence and
the size of the dog. We ended the lesson with an open-ended exploration
that used pairs of variables that the
students selected.
Vol. 17, No. 1, August 2011

Principles and Standards for School

Mathematics (NCTM 2000) suggests
that students find data from multiple
resources, including websites, when
exploring data analysis. To prepare
for this lesson, each group of students

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School

29

selected a specific breed of dog and

found numerical information using
the site http://www.dogluvers.com.
This website contains one-page summaries displaying numerical data on
a variety of dogs. We suggested that
each group find information on at
least ten different breeds. Because we
wanted students to have a full range of
data, we asked each group to include
information on the Chihuahua (6 in.
tall, 2 lbs.) and the Irish wolfhound
(35 in. tall, 120 lbs.).
First, we chose two characteristicsheight and life expectancythat
would demonstrate a negative relationship (see fig. 3a), meaning that
as the x-value increases, the y-value
decreases. For each selected breed, we
entered into the scatter plot the measurements for height as the x-value
and life expectancy as the y-value. As
students entered each set of values,
they began to observe that the data
points clustered around a line of approximate fit. The class discussed the
location of the various data points for
each dogs height and life expectancy
and concluded that, in many instances,
the larger the dog, the shorter the life
span. Students also observed that the
approximate line of fit made dramatic
shifts when they were entering the
first few data values. Then the line of
fit appeared to become more stable as
students entered the last few values
into the scatter plot.
The second relationship we investigated was dog size and intelligence.
The class ranked dog breeds in order
of intelligence, based on information
found at http://petrix.com/dogint/
intelligence.html. The intelligence
rankings on this scale ranged from 1 to
79, with 1 being the most intelligent
and 79 the least intelligent. When students entered the data points comparing height and intelligence, they found
that the points were randomly scattered across the graph, indicating either
a weak, or no, relationship (see fig. 3b).
30

Fig. 3 Students found that some dog data, when graphed against a breeds average
height, showed a strong correlation (a). Other data produced a weak, or no, correlation (b).

(a)
Height (x) and life expectancy (y)

(b)
Intelligence (x) and height (y)

It is important to note that traits

such as intelligence, friendliness,
and watchdog ability are rated using
various discrete numbering systems; in
comparison, the height of a dog or the
length of its tail is a measure of con-

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School

Vol. 17, No. 1, August 2011

tinuous data. The differences between

these two types of numbering systems
and the assumptions of continuity
can be easily misunderstood. To avert
potential misunderstandings, teachers
might discuss the proportional rela-

tionship between continuous measures

(or measureable variables), such as
length, by showing that the difference between one inch and two inches
is one inch or that the difference
between five inches and six inches is
one inch. The increments between
continuous variables remain constant.
Similarly, teachers could demonstrate
that five inches is five times one inch
or that six inches is three times two
inches. This shows students that
continuous data are in a constant and
proportional relationship.
In comparison, students must
understand the workings of a system
using rank-ordered variables. For
example, a dog ranked number 3 in
intelligence is not 1/3 as intelligent as
a dog ranked number 1. This example
shows students that discrete data are
not in a proportional relationship.
Groups of students then chose and
researched two characteristics across
breeds and plotted the relationships
on scatter plots. One group compared
date of origin with friendliness; another chose size and aptitude for training. The whole class then recorded
the findings from multiple groups (see
fig. 4). Although we asked students
to compare only ten dog breeds, most
groups were so engaged in the relationships shown on the graphs that
they used more than ten breeds. One
student was so excited about his findings that he stayed in the classroom
after the others went to recess, so that
he could explain his thought processes. He reported to the teacher that
he had predicted friendliness would
have a negative relationship with
watchdog ability. Instead, he found
no relationship and that several of the
best watchdogs had high rankings for
friendliness.

Fig. 4 Students selected dog characteristics to search for correlations.

Fig. 5 Multiple traits of two dogs of different sizes were compared to determine the
ratio between the two. Note: x = little dog; y = big dog.

DAY 3: CANINE CONJECTURES

In the final lesson, we brought two
dogs into the classroom so that students could measure the dogs physical
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Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School

31

features and collect data. The goal of

this lesson was to make conjectures
about which physical features of dogs
are proportional across breeds and to
confirm these continuous relationships using the scatter plot.
The students had been anxiously
anticipating the opportunity to collect
measurements from actual dogs. For
the lesson, we used our own dogs,
which were a contrast in size: The
Leonberger was 120 pounds, and the
Australian terrier was 17 pounds. After introducing our dogs to the class,
we asked students to make conjectures
about whether or not physical features
of the two dogs would be proportional
to their differences in weight. For example, the weights of the two dogs are
in an approximately 1:7 proportional
relationship; therefore, would the
lengths of the tails and ears, heights,
and running speeds also follow this
1:7 proportional relationship?
Each student wrote his or her
conjecture. Some conjectured that
the big dog would run faster than
the small dog but probably not seven
times as fast. Others reported that
they thought it was impossible for all
measurements to be in a 1:7 proportion, because features like the dogs
ears or tongue could not be that long.
After students shared their conjectures, we collected the empirical data.
For our first comparison, we timed
each dog as it ran the length of the
hall and found that the smaller dog
ran faster than the larger dog. Then
students recorded the average amount
of dog food eaten daily by each dog (a
1:6 relationship). Next, students used
a tape measure to take various height,
girth, and length measurements for the
two dogs. Students found relationships
between the two dogs tails (1:4) and
between the two dogs paws (1:2) by
simplifying the ratios of the measurements they found. Students entered
information into their scatter plots for
each pair of physical features of the
32

two dogs. By simplifying the ratios

of their measurements, the students
found that seven of the thirteen physical features were in an approximate 1:2
or 1:3 relationship (see fig. 5).
Students concluded that their
conjecture about the larger dog being
faster was inaccurate. However, their
conjecture was accurate that physical
features (like the tongues and ears)
would be in proportional relationships less than 1:7. Several students
took the lesson one step further by
measuring their own family dogs at
home.

EXTENSIONS
One possible extension activity is
to explore the notion of extrapolation. For example, when comparing
dog heights with life expectancy, the
linear model works within the x-value
and y-value plotted. However, the
linear model is not useful beyond
the points plotted. To help students
consider this notion, teachers might
ask these questions:
Would a very tall dog have a negative life expectancy?
Would a dog have a very high life
expectancy if the linear model
predicts that its height is only one
inch?
Although the line on the scatter
plot supports these claims, why are
they unrealistic?
Students might consider situations
in which extrapolation is acceptable,
particularly when the predicted data
are close to other points in the scatter
plot. They should become aware that
extrapolation can produce nonsensical
conclusions when the predictions are
well outside the domain of the scatter
plot.

REFLECTIONS
We were amazed at the students
enthusiasm for learning about dogs,

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School

Vol. 17, No. 1, August 2011

and the students thought that Canine

Conjectures was great fun. Although
students filled every extra spare moment of these lessons describing their
personal experiences with dogs, in
the process, we recognized that they
had learned about scatter plots and
proportional relationships.

REFERENCES
Clement, Rod. 1991. Counting on Frank.
Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens
Publishing.
Dog Breeds Encyclopedia. Dogluvers.
http://www.dogluvers.com.
The Intelligence of Dogs. Ranking of
Dogs for Obedience/Working
Intelligence by Breed. http://petrix
.com/dogint/intelligence.html.
National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM). 2000.
Principles and Standards for School
Mathematics. Reston, VA: NCTM.
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. http://nlvm.usu.edu.

Arla Westenskow, arla

westenskow@gmail.com,
taught K6 math in the
Davis School District in
Bountiful, Utah, for thirty
years. She is currently
a doctoral student at
Utah State University in
Logan, where she teaches
elementary mathematics methods courses. She is interested
in technology as well as dogs. Patricia
S. Moyer-Packenham, patricia.moyerpackenham@usu.edu, is a professor of
mathematics education at Utah State
University. Her research focuses on
uses of representations in mathematics
teaching and learning and mathematics
teacher development. The authors thank
Ms. Kamille Nielsen, her dog, and her
sixth-grade class at Boulton Elementary School in Bountiful, Utah, for their
gracious participation in this series of
lessons.