Problem statement:
We had to figure out how many people attended Obama's Inauguration using only a picture of the surrounding area.
Process:
First, we circled each "clump" of people and realized we needed to figure out how many people would fit in each clump. Next, we found the scale by looking up how big the National Mall is and divided that number by the number of inches our model was. After figuring out the scale, we could figure out how big each clump of people were. Then, we determined the the average person takes up 2x2 square feet of room and and used the scale that we previously found to calculate the number of people would be in each area. Finally, we added up the number of people in each individual area to find the total number of people attending the Inauguration.
Reflection:
My group and I used two Habits of a Mathematician to help us complete this project. First, we used "being persistent." There were many times where we didn't know what to do or how to do the work. There were some times when we were just so stumped, all we could think to do is sit there. But, we were persistent with our work and even if we couldn't figure something out, we would try. The second habit we used was, to "explore through conjecture." Event though we didn't always have all the work or calculations, we were able to get ahead by brainstorming and talking to each other. By explore through conjecture, we were able to involve every member of the group in discussion and make sure everyone's ideas were heard.