Cup Stacking

In grade 10 applied we are working on patterning and representing relationships. To build context for equations we did a cup stacking challenge. The goal was to figure out how many red solo cups were needed to make a stack as tall as me. The challenge is that I gave them only 3 cups to start with.

Groups measured the cups, and decided how to stack them.

My height is 5’6” so there was some unit conversion needed. Many groups chose to work in inches, and others chose to work in centimetres.

Once there were calculations, or reasoning that was justifying the number of cups needed, I handed out the cups that they requested and they started stacking.

We saw some pretty accurate predictions! The next challenge was to figure put how many cups would be needed if the stack started from a desk instead of the floor, and then if we used small cups instead, on the floor and from a desk to make stacks as tall as me.

We are able to represent the growing tower height in a table, noting that each increase of one cup is the same increase in height each time, so it will be linear growth.

We consolidated our work together showing how the table and graph can also be used to predict the number of cups needed to stack to my height.

This task was challenging because of the group work dynamic. We are still working on our teamwork and staying on task. Also the cups are light weight and towers will tip over, causing quite a noise. I was glad of 2 volunteer Sr. students in the room who helped out.

Our next challenge is to make a triangle stack of cups as tall as me, if we have enough cups. One of my students has already done some predictions and calculating to solve that challenge.