TEACHER NOTES

ISSUES RELATED TO THE PROBLEM

Prerequisites

Knowledge of linear and exponential functions, curve fitting, say using least squrares approach, or eyeballing a fit of a curve to data.

Time allotment - time management

This problem can be an in class discussion which should take no more than 20 minutes. OR it could be a small group project for, say 10 minutes in class, followed up as a homework assignment. I have used this twice successfully with students who have just learned about exponential functions and some notion of least squares fitting of curves to data.

Expectations

We expect students to construct a model for the data, fit the model (i.e. determine parameters which fit "best"), and use it to predict the future. We also expect the students to question the wisdom of doing this in all cases.

Future payoffs

Extensions

References and Sources

The idea for this problem comes from a piece in the New York Times, 23 January 1992, by John Tierney, p. 1, entitled, Sound Bites Become Smaller Mouthfulls.