8th Grade Task: Flower Pot

Essential and guiding questions:

Explain how the dimensions of the flower pot can be used to find the y‐intercept of a linear model used to find the height of the stack of pots when the number of pots is known?
How can you use the linear model you created in part (b) to find out how many pots are in a stack that is 37 inches tall?
What other types of objects stack in ways similar to the flower pots?
If the model for a new stack of similar pots is y = 2 x + 9, what can you predict about the features of the flower pot?

Blooms taxonomy level:

Understanding

Differentiation suggestions:

If students can’t get started….
Assessing Questions

Advancing Questions

Extension suggestions:

If students finish early….
Assessing Questions

Jim created a linear model based on data he found for stacking chairs. His equation was y = 4x + 60 where x is the number of chairs and y is the height of the stack in inches. Explain the meaning of the slope and y‐intercept in the context of the problem.
Max looked at Jim’s equation for stacking chairs and determined that the original chair must be 60 inches tall. Explain to Jim why he is mistaken.

Advancing Questions

Find a stackable object in the classroom and explain how to create a model that gives the height of the stack depending on the number of objects.
As the answer to part (d) Mark wrote y = 1.5(x‐1) + 10 where x is the number of pots and y is the height of the stack in inches. Explain whether Mark’s answer is correct and include your reasoning.
How many pots will fit in a shelf that is 30 inches tall?

Originator: