Modeling Prompt 10

The Movie Heist

Algebra 1

Standards Addressed

Student Handouts

Coming soon!

In-Class Launch

Use after Unit 8, Lesson 4

Ask students if they enjoy movies with a lot of action. Invite them to share some of their favorites.

Then ask students to think about what goes on behind the scenes to set up a particular stunt or action sequence. After some quiet think time, ask them to share their ideas with a partner. Then invite students to share something they or their partner thought of, and record the ideas for all to see. Possible responses include:

The technology that may be involved, such as controlled explosions, weapons, or other props.
The person or people involved in the action.
The safety measures to put in place.
The timing and choreography of the actors and the events.

Highlight responses related to the timing of events in the scene. Often, actions have to be precisely timed to ensure the scene is thrilling and no one gets hurt.

Task Statement 1

Teacher Instructions

Students need to research or estimate realistic heights for the building and the truck bed as well as speeds for the moving truck.

If students struggle to estimate this information, tell them that one floor of a building is typically around 10 feet tall. Also consider providing access to dynamic graphing technology so that students may adjust the values in their models quickly.

For students struggling to start, suggest that they draw several pictures to represent the scene, such as when the device exits the window, when it is falling and the truck is moving, and when the truck catches the device.

Students should use a quadratic relationship to model the height of the device as it falls and a linear relationship relating speed and time for the position of the truck. They may wish to look in the Quadratic Equations unit for help finding models for projectile motion to represent the height of the device.

You are the math expert for a new movie about a heist. In one scene, a team of spies steals a device from an evil company.

A spy will throw the device out of the window of a tall building. Meanwhile, a speeding truck will come by at the exact time for the device to land in the truck. Your job is to calculate the timing of the scene so this can happen in one take.

Create a presentation that shows the scene as the device exits the window with all the information needed for the device to land in the truck. Include models and explanations for your chosen values.

Lift Analysis

Task Statement 2

Teacher Instructions

Students need to research or estimate realistic heights for the building and the truck bed as well as speeds for the moving truck.

You are the math expert for a new movie about a heist. In one scene, a team of spies steals a device from an evil company.

Create a presentation that shows the scene as the device exits the window, with all the information needed for the device to land in the truck. Include models and explanations for your chosen values.

Draw a picture of the scene at the moment the device is thrown out of the window. Make sure your picture includes the building, the device, and the truck along with any other details you think are important. Include realistic measurements in the calculations. If needed, include variables instead of numbers.
Represent the relationship between the height of the device and the time since it is thrown out the window.
The truck will travel at a constant speed to be in position directly under the window at the right time to catch the device. Estimate a good speed for the truck to drive or a good distance for the truck to drive, from the time the device is released to the time it is caught.
Create a model that relates the distance and the speed of the truck.
At what height above the ground will the device be caught by the truck? When will the truck need to be directly under the device to catch it?
How fast will the truck need to travel? How far should the truck be from the building when the device is dropped? Are these reasonable values?

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Audience

Assessment Access

The Movie Heist

Standards Addressed

HSA-REI.B.4

HSA-REI.C.7

Student Handouts

In-Class Launch

Task Statement 1

Teacher Instructions

Lift Analysis

Task Statement 2

Teacher Instructions

Lift Analysis

HSModeling Prompt | Loading...

Settings

Audience

Assessment Access

The Movie Heist

Standards Addressed

HSA-REI.B.4

HSA-REI.C.7

Student Handouts

In-Class Launch

Task Statement 1

Teacher Instructions

Lift Analysis

Task Statement 2

Teacher Instructions

Prompt 10

Lift Analysis ⓘ

Lift Analysis