Cars, Critters, and Barbies

How does this fit into the curriculum:

Demonstrate understanding of rates, ratios, and proportional reasoning concretely,
pictorially, and symbolically. [C, CN, PS, R, V]
a. Identify and explain ratios and rates in familiar situations SS 9.3
b. Explain how scale diagrams are related to similarity, ratios, and proportionality.
c. Draw a diagram to scale that represents an enlargement or reduction of a given 2-D
shape and explain the strategies used.
Materials
-Toy cars with scales
- Barbies
- Measuring Tape
- Copies of worksheets (1 per group of about 3)
- Overhead copy of Barbie and Ken
- Overhead projector

I. KNOWN SCALE TOYS (Cars)

Measure four known-scale toys and record scale and toy measurements.
Calculate the actual measurements using a proportion.
Have students find the actual measurements by using a scale such as:
Toy scale
Toy measure
------------- = ---------------Actual scale Actual measure
Students will record their results in the table provided
For the smaller car toys students will use the length of the real car to find the scale

II. BARBIE
Measure the Barbie doll and determine her real life measures (Select a height).
Draw your life-size Barbie and discuss her influence on young girls.
Have students find Barbies actual measurements using a ratio such as:
Barbie height
Barbie measurement
---------------- = ------------------Real height
Real measurement
Barbie is a favorite activity of male and female students from elementary school through
college levels and beyond to teachers. The model Barbie is sketched on large butcher-paper,
and students may use colored markers to complete her picture. This is a valuable lesson for
many reasons, including the fact that the life-size Barbie is somewhat grotesque. The
proportions of the doll do not translate well to real life size, and this is apparent to students.

Students will record their results in the tables provided

Students will have a conversation about the life size Barbie we will produce on an
overhead.

Lesson Plan:
Have students brainstorm what a scale is. How is this related to a ratio? (the equivalence
between scales) Discuss where they have seen scales and have them explain examples of
scales that go from large to small and scales that go from small to large.
Give each group 3 toy cars. The actual scale for each car is ( either 1/32, 1/18, 1/64 ). Have
a discussion about what the ratio should be. Come up with the formula for Part I above. Have
students measure the toy car they were given to determine the actual car measurements.
Go through the same process for the next two steps using the information given above.
Show the students the actual measurements of that car and compare if they were off.
Discuss with students why their measurements would be different from the internet.
Give each group a Barbie and the Barbie worksheet. Have the groups measure Barbie and
find what she would look like if she were an average size female. Students must discover the
ratio on their own. Have students measure parts of their body to see how they compare to
Barbie.
Have a large group discussion about Barbie. And ask some prompting questions for
example:
What is abnormal about Barbie?
Do you think this could be possible?
Compared to you how are these measurements off?
To finish the lesson put the picture of Barbie and Ken up on the overhead and have students
stand beside the pictures to see what they look like compared to Barbie.
Finish with a wrap up about what Barbie is like as a role model for young children and a
finishing discussion on scale.
Reflections
After doing this activity for Math on the Move I have found that the time is a little short. When
I did the activity it took about 45mins and so I would suggest adding in more discussion or
giving them another set of cars after to estimate the scale once they have seen the average
size of cars with that scale and discuss why you were off. The students seemed to respond
really well to both parts of the activity.

Toy Car Scale

Directions:
Fill in the chart below by using the model car to find the measurements of the actual car.
Toy Measurements
Toy

Scale

Length

Width

Actual Measurements
Height

Length

Width

Height

Is Barbie Average?
Directions:
1. Find the measurements of Barbie
2. Use the fact that the average female height in Canada is 161.0 cm (5' 3.4") and find the ratio of Barbie
to an average female
3. Use this ratio to find Barbies other measurements if she was a real person.
4. Does Barbie look average?
Measurements
Height
Width of shoulders
Inseam
Length of Head
Length of Arm
Width of Thigh
Width of Stomach
Length of Foot
Length of Neck
Other:
Other:

Barbie size

Barbie in real life

Toy Car Scale Answers

Directions:
Fill in the chart below by using the model car to find the measurements of the actual car.
Toy Measurements

Actual Measurements

Toy

Scale

Length

Width

Height

Length

Width

Height

2006 Camaro

1:32

14cm

5.8cm

4.1cm

448cm
(4729mm)

185.6cm
(2022mm)

131.2cm
(1346mm)

11.8cm

2.6cm

6cm

212.4cm

46.8cm

108cm

Honda RC211V 1:18

motorcycle

Is Barbie Average? Answers

Directions:
1. Find the measurements of Barbie
2. Use the fact that the average female height in Canada is 161.0 cm (5' 3.4") and find the ratio of Barbie
to an average female 1:5.65
3. Use this ratio to find Barbies other measurements if she was a real person.
4. Draw Barbie on the paper provided. Does Barbie look average?
Measurements
Height
Width of shoulders
Inseam
Length of Head
Length of Arm
Width of Thigh
Width of Stomach
Length of Foot
Length of Neck
Other: wing span
Other:

Barbie size
28.5cm
6cm
14cm
4cm
9cm
7cm
8cm
2cm
1.5cm
24cm

Barbie in real life

161.0 cm
33.9cm
79.1cm
22.6cm
50.85cm
39.55cm
45.2cm
11.3cm
8.48cm
135.6cm