7th Grade Task: Capture-Recapture

Standards & Objectives

Essential and guiding questions:

What role does the constant of proportionality play in helping to relate two quantities?
When selecting a representative value for a data set what are some ideas to keep in mind?
What key ideas should be remembered when creating a proportion?
How can a proportion be rewritten as an equation of the form y = mx (and vice versa)?

Activity/Task Variations

Blooms taxonomy level:

Understanding

Differentiation suggestions:

If students can't get started...

What does the 25 tell about the forest? (Question 1a)
What is a constant of proportionality?
What does the constant of proportionality indicate about a relationship between two quantities?

Extension suggestions:

If students finish early...
If all the bears in the Smokies are represented by the bowl of black beans in the bowl, describe how to create a capture – recapture situation similar to Question 3 to estimate the bear population. (This would require preparation by placing two one‐pound bags of black beans in a bowl.)

Originator:

Tennessee Department of Education