Activity Lab
Activity Lab
A Colossal Task
In these activities students apply
their knowledge of similarity, scale
drawing, ratio, and proportion.
A Colossal Task
Applying Volume The Statue of Liberty stands in New York
harbor, welcoming people to the United States. A similar giant
statue once stood at the entrance to the harbor of the Greek
island of Rhodes. A stone base and an iron framework
supported the bronze statue, which took 12 years to construct.
The statue remained standing for only about 66 years, falling to
the ground after a violent earthquake weakened its knees.
Activating Prior Knowledge
Have students brainstorm how
artists draw human beings
accurately and relate their own
experiences in drawing the
human form. Elicit the fact that
artists use ratio and proportion
extensively to represent images
accurately.
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus is believed to have included
12.9 tons of bronze and 7.7 tons of iron.
Some historians believe that the sculptor
modeled the head of the Colossus on that
of Alexander the Great.
Guided Instruction
After students read the
introductory paragraph, ask how
many have visited the Statue of
Liberty. Invite students to relate
their impressions of its size and
proportions.
Activity 1
Materials: ruler, paper and pencil
a. Measure the height of one person attaching bronze plates to
the shin of the Colossus. Estimate the probable height of the
finished statue.
History Connection
The Colossus of Rhodes was a
statue of the Greek god Apollo.
The historian Pliny claimed that
it was 70 cubits high. A cubit is
the length of one’s forearm from
elbow to fingertips. Have students
use their own forearms to calculate
Pliny’s estimate of the height of
the Colossus.
b. Using the painting of the Colossus (above left) as a guide,
sketch the statue. Use proportions to determine at least eight
dimensions on the statue. Add these dimensions to your sketch.
Chemistry Connection
Students may think that the
Statue of Liberty has always been
green. Point out that oxidation
turns copper green as it ages.
Teaching Tip
Have students work in pairs or
in small groups to complete the
activities. Have each team read
through all the activities before
beginning to work. If time is
limited, allow each team to
choose which of the three
activities it will complete.
The Sculptor
Chares of Lindos (in red robes)
probably made small models and scaled
them up to get correct proportions.
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Artist’s rendition
All photographs © Dorling Kindersley Limited unless otherwise credited on acknowledgments page
Activity 1
a – b. Answers may vary.
Check students’ work.
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Activity 2
a. 8 : 1
b. 1000 : 1
Activity 1
Materials ruler, paper and pencil
Teaching Tip
Activity 2
Point out that estimates will
vary. Students may want to use
a whole number, such as 5 or 6 ft,
for the average height of a man.
The worker holding the mallet is
standing fairly upright, so that is
a good place to start measuring.
Measure his foot and the foot
of the Colossus to begin your
proportions.
a. The dimensions of the larger block
are twice the dimensions of the
smaller block.
3 cm
Calculate the
4 cm
ratio of the larger
3 cm
4 cm
block’s volume
2 cm
to the smaller
2 cm
block’s volume.
6 cm
b. Determine what
the volume ratio
6 cm
would be if the
larger block’s
dimensions were
4 cm
10 times the smaller
4 cm
block’s dimensions.
8 cm
Activity 2
8 cm
Materials paper and pencil
Tactile Learners
Students can use same-sized
blocks to model the activity.
Letting one block represent the
smaller prism, they can build
the larger prism and see why its
volume is eight times the volume
of one block.
The Statue of Liberty
French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi
used his mother as the model for the Statue
of Liberty. The statue was built in France
and shipped to New York in 350 pieces. The
seven spikes on the crown symbolize the
seven seas and seven continents.
Activity 3
Materials: newspaper or Internet
Suppose the residents in your area have
decided to honor you, a friend, or a local
hero by building a 100-ft solid-gold statue
in the center of town. Draw a sketch of
the statue. Estimate the weight and cost.
Hints:
Light Lady Liberty
From heel to top of head,
the Statue of Liberty is about
1.3 times as long as a mature
blue whale but only about
1.6 times as heavy. The statue
weighs less than you’d think
because, rather than being
solid, it is a thin layer of copper
over an iron framework.
The Statue of
Liberty weighs
225 tons.
• Use what you learned in Activity 2 to
estimate the ratio of the statue’s volume
to its subject’s volume.
• Think about how the weight ratio
relates to the volume ratio.
• You’ll need to find the density of gold.
You’ll also need to compare the density
of gold to that of a person. Keep in mind
that our bodies are mostly water.
• Research the current price of gold.
A fully grown blue whale
weighs about 143 tons.
PHSchool.com
For: Information about statues
Web Code: aue-1153
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Activity 3
Answers may vary. Check students’ work.
(Hints: 1. Sample: If the subject is 5 ft tall, the volume ratio would be 8000
1 .
2.They are the same.
3. density of gold N 19.3 g/cm3 N 1200 lb/ft3)
Activity 3
Materials paper and pencil
Error Prevention
Students may initially think that
the ratio of weights equals the
ratio of heights. Emphasize that
this is only true when the densities
of the objects are the same.
Scoring Rubric
This scoring rubric applies to all
activities. Share this scoring rubric
with students before they begin
work.
4 Measurements and estimates
are reasonable. Drawings
are neat and accurate and
clearly reflect the situations.
Explanations are thorough.
3 Measurements and estimates
are mostly reasonable.
Drawings are neat and mostly
accurate. Explanations lack
detail or are not completely
accurate.
2 Drawings are not accurate.
Explanations lack clarity.
1 Satisfactory answers are given,
but no work is shown.
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