Connecting Outdoor Instruction to Innovative Learning Standards
 

(COIILS)

an Illinois Scientific Literacy Staff Development Grant

    - Brad Harriman, St. Clair County Regional Superintendent of Schools. . .

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Veering Path Investigation
Developed and edited by Mike Schneider

Description: This investigation looks at a possible connection between right/left handedness (or other factors) and the direction a person will veer from a straight path when blindfolded. It is a very good opportunity to practice measurement and data collection skills as well as graphing.

Grade Levels: Grades 3 - 12 (Note: This experiment can be simplified or made more challenging depending on the developmental levels of your students. See Teacher Information.)

Approximate Time Involved: Two forty-five minute sessions: first session to conduct investigation and record the data, and the second second session should be used to graph the data and enter it on line. The class should examine/compare results.

Teacher Information:

This should become a team exercise where your student groups each develop and write a hypothesis, list the materials they would use, the number of each item, and a procedure. An excellent way to assess this activity is to have the teams repeat each other's experiment to see if they achieve the same results. This will also replicate the real world challenges facing a research scientist.

Challenging Your Students to Be Problem Solvers:

What happens if you blindfold a person and ask them to walk a straight line? Does being right or left handed effect the direction a person might veer when blindfolded and asked to walk a stright line? Does spinning the person in one direction or another affect the way they veer when blindfolded and asked to walk a straight line? Does a level surface versus an uneven surface (grass vs. blacktop) affect a person's veering path? Does walking up, down, or across a hill affect a person's veering path? Design and conduct your own investigation to measure the veering path of a blindfolded person.

Student Instructions Available to download as a PDF file.

Needed Materials: 5 markers (flags, clay balls, etc.), metric tape measure or meter sticks, 15 meters of rope or string, graph paper, and a schoolyard to conduct the investigation.

Safety Rule: Review safety procedure with the flags.

Procedure:

Student Information: This investigation will determine and measure how individuals and groups of individuals respond to being blindfolded and asked to walk a straight line. This experiment draws upon students' knowledge of right and left handedness to determine if there is a relationship to the direction an individual will veer. They may also want to see if there is any relationship to this and what happens when people get lost in the woods. Other discussions might also center around the sport of orienteering and using a compass to find your direction.

Procedural Steps for Conducting the Investigation

  • 1. Click on the “View Data” link at the Veering Path Investigation web page. Click on “View” in the blank sample listed on the chart.  What comes up is the data collection sheet that will be used in this investigation. Print it and place it on your clipboard.
  • 2. Form a hypothesis as to whether right/left handedness will affect the direction a person will veer when blindfolded and asked to walk a straight path.
  • 3. Find a flat and level surface and lay out a 15-meter straight line with the rope. (Mark the rope at 3-meter intervals to save time with measuring). NOTE: You might also mark a chalk line and make cross marks at 3-meter intervals.
  • 4. Team member "A" is blindfolded and placed at the zero point of the line. Team member "B" lines up directly behind team member "A". NOTE: This procedure requires all team members to be perfectly quiet at the time a member is trying to walk the line. Laughing may cause the individual to change their course.
  • 5. When team member "A" begins walking, team member "B" follows closely behind and drops a marker flag in "A's" tracks perpendicular to each 3-meter mark on the rope or straight line. Stop "A" either when he/she reaches the end of the 15-meter line, or when he/she is in danger of running into something (See photo below).

  • 6. Measure the distance each dropped flag is from rope mark or cross mark that is in a direct line with it. This measurement can be made with a meter stick or a tape measure. Measure and record the distances of each of the flags you have dropped and record your measurements on the printed data collection form.
  • 7. Have team member "A" walk the course two more times and then follow the same procedure carefully measuring and recording the data.
  • 8. Team member "B" now can walk the course three times and member "A" can drop the markers as described in steps 4-7.
  • 9. Be sure to enter all of your collected data onto your printed data collection sheet.
  • 10. Login to enter your data at the COIILS Veering Path Level 1 web page where you will only record the number of students who went left or right, and determine their ending distances from the line. Or log in to enter your data at the COIILS Veering Path Level 2 page where you can record actual distances of each participant's trials at 3-meter intervals. NOTE: To get veering lines to appear above and below the X axis of your Excel chart, you must designate all measurements of veering to the left of the line as a negative number (Ex. -3).
  • 11. Once all classroom data is submitted you can download all submitted Schoolyard Litter data and develop charts and graphs in Excel by following the general directions provided at "Downloading and Analyzing Collected Data Using an Excel Spreadsheet"

Below is a list of questions that can be used to stimulate student discussions. If your students are at a developmental level where you are able to challenge their higher level thinking skills, then only present them with the first set of questions from each group below. Use the second list of questions as a way to stimulate thinking when your students seem unable to expand their knowledge on their own.

Examining Local Results

Discussion Questions that Require More Critical Thinking Skills:

  • What were your conclusions for this experiment?
  • What could your infer based on your conclusions?
  • How would you design this experiment differently the next time?

Discussion Questions that Require Less Critical Thinking Skills

  • What things can you learn from comparing the graphs of the walkers?
  • What conclusions and/or inferences could you draw from comparing the distances the walkers veered from the straight line?
  • Were your conclusions in line with your hypothesis? Please explain.
  • Did your data show any differences related to gender?
  • Describe the dependent and independent variables in this experiment.
  • Would you expect to find the similar results if this experiment was repeated on another day? How could you test your predictions experimentally?

Examining Local and Online Results

Discussion Questions That Will Require Critical Thinking Skills to Compare Local Data to the Online Data of Others

  • How did your results compare with the results of others?
  • What conclusions can you make when you compare your results with the results of others?
  • What inferences can you draw from your additional conclusions?
  • What changes would you now make in this experiment based on the information you now have?

General Discussion Questions that May Occur as a Result of Comparing Local Data to the Online Data of Others

  • Was there any relationship to the results and the grade levels of the participants?
  • What external factors at the different locations may have contributed to different results?
  • What similarities could you draw from all of the collected data?
  • Did the any of the online data cause you to reassess your conclusions.

Performance and Multiple Choice Assessment Options

Links

GORP - How to Navigate the Backcountry An article about how to find your way in the backcountry with a compass.

OA Guide to Map & Compass More on how to use a map and compass.

What is Orienteering? Find out what orienteering is.

Orienteering Unlimited, Inc. Learn about orienteering and get involved in orienteering activities.

US Orienteering Federation Look for clubs and events in your area.

More links to Schoolyard Habitat Information

Schoolyard Habitat Links Learn more about developing and maintaining schoolyard and backyard habitats by visiting these links.

Copyright, 2005

by Prism Press

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The text of this publication or any part thereof, may not be reproduced or transmitted in any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the authors.


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