Stick Figure Selfies

In this fun project, the 7th graders in Math B practiced their understanding of ratios and proportions. The students initially drew a stick figure "selfie" of themselves based on what they thought their proportions were. They then logged the stick figure's height and the length of its legs, arms, neck, torso, face and face width on a data table in which they graphed.

An example of a student's initial data and selfie drawing.

Before moving on, the students were asked to answer questions about interpreting their graph. They answered questions about what the graph's line looked like, if it ran through the origin, and why their data was graphed that way.

Then, they began to take their body's actual measurements and logged them in a different table. When they had their proportions, the students had to use their knowledge of ratios to scale down their numbers so they were in proportion to their stick figure's. After scaling down, they graphed their measurements and interpreted the graph once again.

This is the data and drawing after taking their proportions.

Besides seeing the before and after results of taking measurements, this project helped students interpret graphs and data. By logging numbers and then planting them on the x-axis and y-axis, the students had to be precise with their calculations and really understand what graphs reveal. Walking away from this project, the 7th graders had more knowledge under their belt about ratios and proportions and how it applies to them. This knowledge could even be applied in future visual arts classes at PFAA when they need to use ratios.