Proportional Reasoning - Directions

 

How it Works:

Using the Proportional Reasoning Concept Builder is quite simple. There are three activities. The directions for each activity are slightly different. In the first activity - Which Two Rows? - you will be provided a table of X-Y data. The relationship between X and Y will be stated. For instance, it might state that "A doubling of X causes the value of Y to halve."  You must find all the combinations of two rows in the table that demonstrate this relationship. All possibilities are provided. You can select an answer by tapping on the button that displays the combination of two rows. You must select all combinations that apply. If an answer option is selected, its text will turn red and the radio button to the left of the text will be colored red. If you change your mind, then you can tap the button again to deselect it. As long as at least one answer option is selected,  a Check Answers button appears. When you are satisfied with your answer(s), tap on the Check Answers button. You will receive immediate feedback and your Progress will be updated.

In the second activity - Predict the Value - the relationship between variables X and Y is stated. For instance, it might state that "as the value of X is doubled, the value of Y is quadrupled." A data pair - a value of X and Y - is provided. You are then asked to use the stated relationship to predict the value of Y for a new value of X. The new value of X is likely to be some multiple of the original value - for instance, double the original value. You can enter the answer by entering it directly into the answer field. Or you can tap on the icon for the number pad and use the number pad to enter your answer (ideal for those using devices that don't include a physical keypad). Once you are satisfied with your answer, tap on the Check Answer button. You will receive immediate feedback and your Progress will be updated.

In the third activity - Extrapolate - you must analyze a provided table of data for generic variables X and Y and do three things. First, you must identify the type of relationship that exists between X and Y.. You can tap on the button to toggle through the three choices - linear, inverse, and quadratic. Second, you must complete a statement that describes the relationship between X and Y. The relationship begins with a statement like "As the value of X is doubled, the value of Y ...". You must use the provided table to determine the proper means of completing the statement. There are as many as six options. You can view the options by tapping on the option box. Continued tapping toggles through all the options. Once you see the option you like, stop tapping and leave it in the answer box. The third thing that you must do is to determine the value of Y for a value of X that lies outside the domain of the Data Table. You can enter the answer directly into the answer field. Or you can tap on the icon for the number pad and use the number pad to enter your answer (ideal for those using devices that don't include a physical keypad). Once you are satisfied with your answer, tap on the Check Answers button. You will receive immediate feedback and your Progress will be updated.


Your goal is to earn "Stars" and to complete one or more activities. Stars are earned when you show success on a particular question. Once you show success on all the questions of a particular activity, you will earn the Trophy for that activity.

 

Earning Stars

When you start up any of the activities, the number of questions in that activity are shown in the Progress Report area of the Concept Builder. You will notice that there is either a Yellow or a Red background for each question number. When starting up an activity, the background color is Yellow. Answering a "Yellow" question correctly earns you a star for that question number. However, answering it incorrectly turns the background color to Red. A question number with a Red background must be correctly answered twice (without a miss) in order to earn a star. 

 

Getting Help

You will notice that there is a Help Me button underneath the Progress Report. You should learn to use this feature of the program. It's how you can turn an exercise in answering questions into an exercise in learning. Tapping on the Help Me button will open a page with help that is specific to each question. Of course, the Help pages are only helpful if you read them. So take the time to read them. Each Help page contains four sections: a discussion of the Fundamentals, a display of the various Questions in the Question Group, a section titled "How to Think About This Situation", and a set of links to resources in our Tutorial section. You should pay attention to the section titled How to Think About This Situation. You will find what you need to know in the two or three paragraphs in this section. You will also become a better Physics student for doing that. That is, after all, the goal of such an activity as Proportional Reasoning. 
 
 

Thanks for being patient with the Directions. Happy learning!