EZmath3
Let's go for a bike ride!
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A Unit for teachers:
What the heck is “RAGBRAI?”
Part 1
History
2009 Statistics
from www.Ragbrai.org
"WELCOME TO “RAGBRAI” 2009
RAGBRAI is an acronym for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It is a non-competitive bicycle ride across Iowa that draws recreational riders from across the United States and overseas. They ride from a community on Iowa's western border to a community on Iowa's eastern border, stopping in towns across the state. RAGBRAI is limited to 8,500 week-long riders and 1,500 day riders.
RAGBRAI began in 1972 when Des Moines Register feature writers John Karras and Donald Kaul decided to go on a bicycle ride across Iowa. Both men were avid cyclists. Kaul would write articles about what he experienced during this ride.
The newspaper's management approved of the plan. Don Benson, a public relations director at the Register, was assigned to coordinate the event. The newsmen invited the public to accompany them.
The ride was planned to start on August 26 in Sioux City and end in Davenport on August 31. The overnight stops were Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines and Williamsburg. The Register informed readers of the event, and the planned route. The ride was informally referred to as "The Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride".
Some 300 cyclists began the ride in Sioux City; 114 of them rode the entire route. A number of other people rode part of the route. Attendance was light the first year. The ride was announced with only six weeks' notice and it conflicted with the first week of school and the final weekend of the Iowa State Fair.
After the ride was over, Kaul and Karras wrote numerous articles that captured the imaginations of many readers. Among those who completed the 1973 ride was 83-year-old Clarence Pickard of Indianola. He rode a used ladies Schwinn and wore a long-sleeved shirt, trousers, woolen long underwear and a silver pith helmet. The newspaper received many calls and letters from people who wanted to go on the ride but were unable to for various reasons. As a result, the 1974 ride was scheduled before the fair, from August 4-10.
After the second year, the ride continued to grow in popularity. The RAGBRAI name, with Roman numerals following it, was adopted for RAGBRAI III in 1975; thus, the 2009 ride will be RAGBRAI XXXVII. The ride eventually moved to the last full week in July, starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday. Since then “The Ride” has continued to grow in number of people and popularity. The average day now has upwards of 10,000 people peddling their bicycles from town to town." In 2007 Lance Armstrong rode in RAGBRAI for 3 of the 7 days.
"The length of the route averages 472 miles. Eight "host communities" are selected each year; one each for the beginning and end points, while the other six are overnight stops. The distance between host communities is on average sixty-eight miles. At the beginning of the ride, riders traditionally dip the rear wheel of their bikes in either the Missouri River or the Big Sioux River (depending on the starting point of the ride). At the end, the riders dip the front wheels in the Mississippi River. "
For more information on RAGBRAI check out the following link: www.ragbrai.org or ask Mr. Sheff who has ridden his bicycle across Iowa in Ragbrai for the past three years and will be doing it again this summer with his family. This wil be the first RAGBRAI for his sons Connor (age 11) and Tyler (age 14); it will be his wife’s fifth ride.
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Use the following information about the 2009 RAGBRAI to answer the questions
1) Design a chart to hold the following information: On day 1 the ride is 52.6 miles and a climb of 3,684 feet; day 2 is 72.6 miles and climb of 5,096 feet; day 3 is 77.1 miles and climb of 4,470 feet; day 4’s mileage is 44.4 miles and a climb of 2,182 feet; day 5 is one of the longer days with mileage of 76.9 miles and 3,388 feet of climb; day 6 is 75.5 miles and a climb of 2,841 feet. The total ride for 7 days is 442.3 miles with a total of 22,806 feet of climb; use that information to figure out the day 7 totals of miles ridden and feet of elevation (climb). Make sure to include a totals row on your chart for all seven days.
2) Using your data table answer the following. Please put all answers in complete sentences.
a) What is the average of miles per day ridden in this year’s ride?
b) What is the range of miles per day? The median?
c) What is the average amount of climb per day?
d) What is the range of the feet of climb? The median?
SHOW ALL WORK NEATLY
Use the following information about the 2009 RAGBRAI to answer the questions
1) Design a chart to hold the following information: On day 1 the ride is 52.6 miles and a climb of 3,684 feet; day 2 is 72.6 miles and climb of 5,096 feet; day 3 is 77.1 miles and climb of 4,470 feet; day 4’s mileage is 44.4 miles and a climb of 2,182 feet; day 5 is one of the longer days with mileage of 76.9 miles and 3,388 feet of climb; day 6 is 75.5 miles and a climb of 2,841 feet. The total ride for 7 days is 442.3 miles with a total of 22,806 feet of climb; use that information to figure out the day 7 totals of miles ridden and feet of elevation (climb). Make sure to include a totals row on your chart for all seven days.
2) Using your data table answer the following. Please put all answers in complete sentences.
a) What is the average of miles per day ridden in this year’s ride?
b) What is the range of miles per day? The median?
c) What is the average amount of climb per day?
d) What is the range of the feet of climb? The median?
What the heck is “RAGBRAI?"
Part 2
Brainstorming
Rider fees
Travel
Logistics: the planning, implementation, and coordination of the details of an endeavor. BRAINSTORM: What are all of the things you would have to plan for to get out to Iowa and back home; and to participate in the ride? List them below.
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1) Rider fee:
A weeklong rider fee is $140; a weeklong non-rider fee is $35. A vehicle permit is $35. Instead of entering for the week, participants may enter for daily wristbands (paying per day as you ride) for $25 per day. What is the total fee for the entire ride if you pay “per day” compared to if you paid the “week long” rider fee? Use complete sentences for your answers.
2) If you were only riding for 6 days which is cheaper, the “week long” fee or to pay by the day? Explain your answer.
If flying to Iowa the round trip ticket would cost $337.00 plus an additional $84.75 in taxes and fees per person. To take the Amtrak (train) it would cost $181.30 per person. Please put your answers in complete sentences.
3) How much more would it cost a family of four to fly than to take the train?
4) What would be a possible advantage of flying rather than using Amtrak?
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All answers in complete sentences.
5) If flying you will have to spend 2 nights in a motel (one before the ride and one after the ride). The motel costs $65 a night plus 6% tax. What is the cost for one night? What is the cost for both nights?
6) If you take the train you need to spend three nights in the motel. How much would it cost for three nights? Explain how you arrived at your answer.
7) Why do you think an extra night is needed if you travel by train?
Part 3
Rider Support Services; it helps to have help
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All answers in complete sentences.
For your travel support you can get a variety of services.
* Baggage support for the week.
* Motor Coach to starting town of the ride.
* Motor Coach back to beginning of ride at the end.
* Daily riders also have a separate baggage fee.
• One can also sign on for the full charter package, which includes all of the above services for the entire week for one flat rate.
Using algebra, the following information provided, and your knowledge of mathematics figure out how much each of the above fees would cost. Show all work neatly (Hint: Solve Motor coach start fee first)
1) Baggage support for the week: $30 less than the total motor coach costs combined.
2) Motor coach “Start” fee: 3x + 25 = 8x – 200; solve for x
3) Motor coach return trip fee to start: Five more than twice the motor coach start fee.
4) Daily riders baggage charge: $20 more than the difference between Baggage support cost and the Motor coach return trip fee.
5) Full Charter Package for week: $55 less than the total cost of all items above.
What the heck is “RAGBRAI?”
Part 4
Food
Souvenirs
Riding
Pie & Cookies
Show all work neatly and
write all answers in complete sentences.
1) The organizers of the event say you should plan on spending about $35/day on food and beverage. Using that estimate how much will a family of four needs to budget for food money for the ride? Are there any other food costs that must be considered?
2) The Sheffield family is also planning on purchasing some souvenirs and other extras. Each of the 4 family members will have an amount of spending money that would be equal to 37% to 45% of each person’s food allowance. What is the range of how much money each family member will have to spend on souvenirs? How many total dollars would that be for the entire family?
Show all work neatly and please write your answers
in complete sentences.
PEDALING and PIE
3) Mrs. Sheffield and Connor leave Red Oak at 6:30 a.m. to go to Greenfield. They are peddling an average speed of 13 mph and Greenfield is 72.6 miles away. Mr. Sheffield and Tyler leave at 8 a.m., as they are not "morning people." If they peddle at an average rate of 16 mph which pair will reach Greenfield first and how much quicker will they arrive there?
4) The ratio of pie eating is as follows: For every 1.5 pie pieces Mr. Sheff eats Connor eats .5, Tyler eats .75 and Mrs. Sheff eats a cookie. If Mr. Sheff eats 12 pieces of pie how many pieces of pie do Connor and Tyler eat and how many cookies does Mrs. Sheff eat?
What the heck is “RAGBRAI?”
Part 5
Weather Statistics for the Week
Fluid Intake
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1) The temperatures during the days of riding will be 86, 94, 96, 91, 88, 91, and 92 degrees. Make a line graph of those temperatures in order using 86 degrees as the first day (Sunday July 19th) and using all others in order as listed from that point.
2) To the nearest degree what will the average high temperature be? The median? The mode? The range? Please label all answers.
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One rule of thumb is that a bicyclist should drink water every 15 minutes, but water is not enough. You should carry at least two water bottles with you. Because we sweat and lose those precious minerals when we exercise, we have to replace them through sports drinks and other fluids. And since certain beverages can hinder the effectiveness of some important vitamins and minerals, it's a good idea to have some vitamins on hand.
3) Why is drinking plenty of fluids so important?
4) If each water bottle on a bike holds 20 ounces of water, and someone drinks 8 full bottles during a day of riding, how many ounces is that?
5) How many cups would that be? 6) How many quarts would that be?
7) How many gallons?
What the heck is “RAGBRAI?”
Part 6
“Now I know what RAGBRAI is.”
WRITING AND RIDING, RIDING AND WRITING
The Unit “Final Exam”
You are to write 4 paragraphs about our RAGBRAI UNIT:
Paragraph 1) Write about RAGBRAI. Use all facts, not opinions.
Paragraph 2) Write about some/all of the math we used in this unit (Do not forget examples).
Paragraph 3) Share you thoughts about the RAGBRAI bicycle ride (not the unit, but the ride itself).
Paragraph 4) Write about the unit: your likes, dislikes, comments, ideas, suggestions
(i.e. would you like to see more bicycling equipment, bags, other math, etc)
*Each paragraph should contain 5-8 complete and well-written sentences.
If you do minimum work you should expect a minimum grade : )
*Remember to use details and examples in your writing.
You will write a first rough draft, a second draft, and then a final copy.
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Original site: http://sheffx.googlepages.com/ezmath
Weather Project: http://sheffx.googlepages.com/ezmath2
Mr. X's Vacation Adventure; a whacky (but true) tale: http://sheffx.googlepages.com/ezmath4
Design your own game for the B.K. Gammon Co., inc: http://sheffx.googlepages.com/ezmath5~b.k.gammoncompany
Character Ed: http://sheffx.googlepages.com/character
A unit about tobacco products and their dangers: http://sheffx.googlepages.com/buttout%21
Send feedback/comments to: sheffx@gmail.com