4 Making up your own story and your own graph
So far in this unit, the focus has been on finding out what story a graph tells; that is, the interpretation of graphs. Constructing and interpreting graphs are very closely related; however, constructing graphs also involves another way of thinking. Instead of simply inventing a plausible story, it also requires representing the story in a graph and paying attention to all its elements, then checking whether the graph actually tells the story that was intended.
To practise these skills, the next activity asks the students to write a film script for an action movie and to construct a graph to tell that story. You might ask your students to spend five minutes at the start choosing their favourite action hero - they might choose Shaktimaan or Kangna Ranaut from Krrish or even James Bond.
Activity 5: The fast getaway
Explain to your students what they are required to do in this activity, using the following prompts:
You are writing a script for a big action movie! The scene you are working on requires the hero to get away as far as they can from the place where they are in one hour – which is the mathematics classroom you are in now! It is a race against time. Any mode of transport can be used, including wheelbarrows or roller skates, as long as it is sensible and can be filmed. For example, a plane taking off from the school playground would not be sensible because planes require a long runway.
Describe your route and tell your story by drawing a graph.
- Give your reasons for your choices. How far away will the hero get?
- Exchange your graph with your friend and try to reconstruct each other’s stories from the graphs. Do your stories match what you depicted in your graphs? Do you have to make some changes?
- Then ask several students to present their stories to the class – can other students draw the graphs to go with their stories?
You can read more in Resource 4, ‘Storytelling, songs, role play and drama’.
Case Study 4: Teacher Elisha reflects on using Activity 5
I was slightly apprehensive about doing this exercise. However, it sounded like a lot of fun and excitement, and an opportunity for the students to use their imagination. I should not have worried – they loved it! I did put some time limits on parts of the activity: 20 minutes to produce their script and graph, then another 20 minutes to swap stories and graphs and make changes. I used the stopwatch on my mobile phone to time this. Although I thought this might not be enough time, the students had no issues with it. It seemed to be part of the ‘race against time’ in the activity.
As a result, the class was energised and the students worked frantically. Some students got stuck and asked for help. I decided the best help they could get was from seeing examples, so I told them to ask their classmates whether they could have a look at their work. The effect of this seemed to be that those students worked in a supportive and collaborative way while still making their own stories, which was lovely to see.
The students ended up exchanging their graphs and stories with many other students. They were all curious to see what the others had done. They were very proud of their work and asked voluntarily whether they could take it home to show their family. I agreed. I also asked them to make an improved version of their work, with ‘perfect’ graphs that used a sensible scale, properly labelled axes and a title to then put on the walls in the classroom. I was very impressed by the quality of the mathematics in their stories and graphs.
 Pause for thought
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3 Building the story of what happens between variables