Pin it! Google Plus  How Tall?    • Lesson MeasurementData
Analysis and Probability Terry Johanson Langham, SK, Canada  We
often hear that there are measurements in the body that can be
used to predict a person’s height. By graphing different body
measurements versus height and comparing their correlation
coefficient, students decide which body measurement is the best
predictor.  Students will probably have heard about some ratios
that are said to exist in the body. For examples, it is often
said that if you open your arms wide and measure the length from
the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other and
compare this to your height, the two measurements are equal.
Another example is the claim that if you measure your height and
compare it to the distance from the floor to your navel, then
the resulting ratio is approximately 1.618:1, which is also
known as the golden ratio.  If students measure these ratios on
their own bodies, they may notice that the ratios are not
exactly what the students pred