Contextualization

Mathematics is present in virtually all aspects of our lives, from performing simple daily tasks to more complex applications in science, engineering, and finance. A particularly relevant area of mathematics is measurement, which allows quantifying items, comparing different quantities, and performing calculations. Humanity has developed several measurement systems over the centuries, but today, the International System (SI), or Metric System, and the Imperial System are the most commonly used in the Western world.

The Decimal Metric system, known as the International System of Units (SI), was officially adopted in 1960 and is the most widely used system of units worldwide. It is a decimal system of measurement units. It has been adopted worldwide, except in the United States, where the imperial system is still the standard measurement system.

The Imperial system, also known as the English system, is the non-metric measure currently used in the United States and is used for many common things, such as measuring distances, volumes, and weights. This system has its roots in the Middle Ages and is based on arbitrary units of measurement, such as the inch, foot, yard, and mile for measuring distances; the ounce and pound for measuring weight; and the fluid ounce and gallon for measuring volume.

Although the Imperial system has been largely replaced by the metric system in almost the entire world, it is still widely used in the United States and in certain sectors in the United Kingdom. This can inevitably lead to situations where it is necessary to convert units between these two systems, and this is where our project comes in.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Mission Measure Degree: From Metric to Imperial!"

Project Objective

The objective of this project is to enable students to practically experiment for the understanding and deepening of theoretical concepts about measurements in the metric and imperial systems, offering challenges that stimulate problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and application in everyday reality.

Detailed Project Description

In groups of 3 to 5 students, this project challenges participants to simulate a real situation of information exchange in which each team needs to use both measurement units (metric and imperial) in different contexts. To make the challenge more interesting, each team will represent a country or region where predominantly one of the measurement systems is used: metric or imperial.

The activity will be divided into two main parts: research and application, which should be carried out within a period of approximately fifteen days.

In the first part, each team will conduct an in-depth research on the measurement system of the country or region they are representing, exploring the historical, social, and political reasons for its adoption, specific uses in the local context, advantages and disadvantages, and possible dilemmas related to conversions and misunderstandings.

In the second part, teams must create a realistic scenario involving an interaction between a character from their region and a character from a region that uses the other measurement system. This scenario should be presented as a play or video, with a detailed script that includes dialogues, descriptions of actions and visual elements, where different measurement units are used and converted.

Required Materials

• Internet access for research;
• Material for recording research (e.g., notebook, computer);
• Filming equipment (e.g., cell phone) if opting for video;
• Scenography and costume material for the theatrical play or video.

Detailed Step-by-Step for Activity Execution

1. Divide students into groups of 3 to 5;
2. Assign each group a country or region that predominantly uses one of the measurement systems: metric or imperial;
3. Students should conduct in-depth research on the measurement system of the country or region they are representing;
4. Based on the research, teams must create a realistic scenario involving an interaction between a character from their region and a character from a region that uses the other measurement system;
5. Create the script for the theatrical play or video, where different units of measurement are used and converted;
6. Present the theatrical play or video to the rest of the class;
7. Throughout the project, students should keep a record of their activities, observations, decisions, and findings, which will be used as the basis for the final report.

Project Deliverables

Project deliverables include:

1. Documented research on the measurement system of the country or region represented by each team;

2. The script for the theatrical play or video;

3. Presentation of the theatrical play or video;

4. A written report in four parts:

   • Introduction: Students should contextualize the theme, its relevance, and application in the real world, as well as the objective of this project.
   • Development: Students should explain the theory behind the central theme of the project, detail the activity, indicate the methodology used, and finally present and discuss the results obtained.
   • Conclusion: Students should conclude the work by summarizing their main points, explaining the learnings obtained, and drawing conclusions about the project.
   • Bibliography: Students should indicate the sources they relied on to work on the project such as books, web pages, videos, etc.