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How long is the coast of Norway?

Algebra 2Sequencesabout 3 minCCSS HSF.BF.A.2CCSS HSF.IF.A.3

Measure Norway's coast with shorter and shorter sticks.

Lesson Plan

Explore geometric sequences and their limits through the coastline paradox.

  1. Question: Ask what students spot and what they are curious about. Read “With half the stick, will the coast come out…” aloud. Have each student guess and say why.

  2. Question: Read “Does the coast grow forever, or settle?” aloud. Have partners explain their guesses to each other.

  3. Big idea: Pause. Ask a student to say the idea in their own words.

  4. Big idea: Pause. Have partners explain the idea to each other.

  5. Your turn: Have students try their own. Ask them to predict before they test.

How to run it

  1. Whole classPut the lesson on the board. At each choice the class votes, then you select the winner.
  2. SoloShare the link, QR code, or post to Google Classroom. Each student gets to take their own path.