Exploring Proportional Reasoning through Movies and Literature

Abstract

Have you ever watched a toddler climb onto a chair and compared the height of the chair with the height of the toddler? Have you wondered how big a chair would have to be for you, as an adult, to have the same experience of struggling to get into it? Have you looked at a Barbie doll's neck or high heels and wondered how long each would be if Barbie were an adult female of average height? When watching a movie, such as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, have you ever wondered how large objects like silverware and blades of grass must have been to give the appearance that a child had been shrunk? Satisfying our curiosity about these questions requires proportional reasoning.