Source: Cyberchase: "Whale of a Tale"
Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.
In this video segment from Cyberchase, Matt and Inez have to choose a cage for Spout the Whale. The cages they find in a store come in different sizes and Matt and Inez are not sure of Spout’s exact size. They use estimation and non-standard measurements to estimate Spout's size and select the best cage.
Download and ShareTranscript (Document)
Everyday Math (2004)
Teacher Lesson Guide: pp. 164-169, 184-185, 742-745
Student Reference Book: pp. 166, 169
TERC (2006)
From Paces to Feet
Investigation 1, Sessions 1-4: pp. 2-19
Investigation 2, Session 1: pp. 28-36
Here are some Frame, Focus and Follow-up suggestions for using this video in a math lesson.
What is Frame, Focus and Follow-up?
Frame: What would you do if you had to measure something, but you couldn’t get near it? Would a photograph of it help? How? When you measure something do you always have to have a measuring tool like a ruler or a yardstick or are there other ways to measure?
Focus: As you watch this segment, think about the steps Inez and Matt go through as they figure out which cage is best for Spout. How do they use estimation? How are they able to measure Spout?
Follow Up: What is the size of the cage that Matt and Inez chose for Spout? Why did they count the floors of the hotel that Spout was in front of on TV? How would you estimate the height of your classroom ceiling without using any traditional measuring tool, such as a ruler or meter stick?
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