Original Handbook Problem: The bus from Kevin's home to the middle school travels 8 miles west, then turns and travels 8 miles north, then turns and travels 7 miles west to arrive at school. If the bus were able to travel directly from Kevin's house to the middle school along a straight path, how much shorter would the trip be? (2018-19 Problem #58)
Why RMSPG2018 got high scores in communication:
- They provide ample time to understand the problem and real-world application so viewers can follow along.
- Not only do they present 2 solutions to the problem (0:53 and 3:02), but they set up a second real-world situation as the reason the characters must find another solution (2:53), making their explanations more realistic and interesting.
- They speak very clearly and use graphics to explain the solutions (1:01).
What else the judges liked:
- Correct use of more advanced math concepts for their second solution (3:06).
- Student-written humor like the frustrated captain (0:23) and the crew's silly antics (0:45 and 4:35).
- Simple but effective use of green screen and effects like the spaceship traveling (4:45).
- Logical real-world application that doesn't feel forced and doesn't simply rely on what's already in the original problem.
Difficulty
MVC Content Area
CCSS (Common Core State Standard)
Math topic