How Many Noses Are in Your Arm?
Measurement
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Objective
Students will apply the concept of ratio and proportion to determine the length of the
Statue of Liberty’s torch bearing arm.
Overview of the Lesson
By showing different sized pictures of the teacher participating in a marathon race,
students are introduced to the term ratio. Students view a video of the Statue of Liberty
and are asked how long the arm would be if the nose measures 4 feet 6 inches. Given
chart paper, string, and rulers, students develop their own strategy for finding the
solution. They measure the length of their nose and the length of their arm and form a
ratio. Using proportions, students compute the length of the statue’s arm. Group
results are displayed and compared. The actual length of the Statue of Liberty’s arm is
located in the almanac and compared to the lengths determined by the students.
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