Lesson 2 Worksheet

Worksheet to guide students through Lesson 2 - Six Degrees, Tables, and Trees

Step 1

Form into groups of about 4.

Step 2

As a group, choose 1 favourite actor. This will be the actor at the centre of your tree.

Step 3

Each group member writes down another favourite actor of theirs, avoiding duplicates. So a group of 4 should now have 5 actors listed, the common choice and 4 individual choices e.g.,

• Ryan Reynolds

• Elizabeth Taylor

• Daniel Radcliffe

• Emma Thompson

• Jack Black

Step 4

In the table below, enter the first actor's name (the favourite selected by the group) in the first cell of the second row and the first cell of the second column. Note that intersecting cell (second cell of both second row and second column) is populated with "---" as there is no connection between an actor and himself.

Step 5

Go to the Oracle of Bacon website ( https://oracleofbacon.org/movielinks.php ) and enter in the first actor (e.g., Ryan Reynolds) and the second actor (e.g., Elizabeth Taylor), as shown below. If there are intervening actors (e.g., Tim Robbins), then enter all these intervening actors first (e.g., first cell of BOTH row three and column three) and then the second actor (e.g., first cell of BOTH row four and column four). If there are no intervening actors, just enter the second actor's name in the next free row (e.g., first cell of BOTH row three and column three).

Enter in each of the listed movies that the intersections between the two actors in that movie, remembering that there will be TWO intersecting cells.

Step 6

Repeat step 5 for all the other actors e.g., actor 3, then actor 4. Remember that the search should always start with the first actor e.g. Ryan Reynolds and actor 3, Ryan Reynolds and actor 4.

Step 7

Once your movie connection table is complete, create a network diagram of this movie connection data.

Step 8

Compare your network diagram with other groups. How are they similar? How do they differ?

Step 9

Now make your table cyclical by entering in the connection between any of the individual favourite actors (i.e., actor 2, actor 3, etc.). For example, with the example list provided above, look up the connection between Elizabeth Taylor and Daniel Radcliffe, as shown below. Remember to enter in any intervening actors (e.g., Maggie Smith) into the table as well as entering all the connecting movies in the correct intersecting cells.

Step 10

Updating your network diagram to contain this cycle. How does this cyclical network compare to the earlier tree? What extra information is being expressed?