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Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

How long does it take to donate hair?

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Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

How long does it take to donate hair?

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Hair Today Gone Tomorrow - Student Handout.pdf
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Hair Today Gone Tomorrow - Teacher Guide.pdf
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Every year, thousands of children lose their hair to leukemia and other medical conditions. Fortunately, there are organizations that help them by turning donated hair into wigs. How long does it take to donate hair? Donating hair is a generous act, but it also takes a long time to grow an entire wig’s worth of hair.

Students write and solve linear equations to determine how long it would take to donate a wig’s worth of hair and discuss ways they can support peers with conditions like Leukemia and alopecia.

REAL WORLD TAKEAWAYS

  • Every year, many children lose their hair due to medical conditions. To help them, certain organizations create wigs from donated hair.
  • It takes ~100 inches of hair for Locks of Love to make a single wig. It would take an individual more than 16-20 years to donate a complete wig. If a classroom full of students worked together, they could donate a full wig in a fraction of the time!
  • Groups of people can often make an impact more quickly by working together.

MATH OBJECTIVES

  • Write and solve one-variable equations to solve real-world problems
Appropriate most times as students are developing conceptual understanding.
Grade 7
Equations & Expressions
Grade 7
Equations & Expressions
Content Standards
Mathematical Practices

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Big Foot Conspiracy

Should people with small feet pay less for shoes?

Grade 7
Ratios & Proportions
Great anytime, including at the beginning of a unit before students have any formal introduction to the topic.

Common Cents

Should the U.S. get rid of the penny?

Grade 7
Rational Numbers
Appropriate most times as students are developing conceptual understanding.

To Have and to Hold

Is it a good idea to rent a storage unit?

Grade 7
Equations & Expressions
Appropriate most times as students are developing conceptual understanding.

Axle Roads

How do vehicles turn so smoothly?

Grade 7
Measuring Circles
Appropriate most times as students are developing conceptual understanding.

Grading Scales of Justice

How should students be graded?

Grade 7
Percents & Proportions
Appropriate most times as students are developing conceptual understanding.