“When will I ever use this?” Instead of giving students a litany of ways they will use math in the real world, it can sometimes be more powerful to let them actually experience how math comes into play in very real ways in the real world.
My daughter, Dr. Anne Leung, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and an adjunct professor at Arcadia University, designed this activity The activity was designed for rising 8th grade students. It engages students in the creation of a data set using Hop Tests (a Hop Test is a test that physical therapist sometimes use with clients). Students then analyze that data. This activity can be done asynchronously. It is strictly intended for math education and is not fully representative of physical therapy or diagnostic purposes.
The activity begins with a video. The video explains a little bit about the research and provides background information. Here is the link to the. video
Next, students read a description of a Hop Test and perform Hop Tests to create a data set. The description is in the file below.
Hop Test Description – Google Docs
After students have created the data by doing the Hop Tests, they read the instructions on how to analyze the data. The instructions are in the file below.
Finally, students complete the analysis of their data.
Cheryl Leung, Golden Apple Fellow
Golden Apple Academy 