Supplies needed for this experiment:
- Metric measuring tape
- Crickets (caught or bought) - Ours were purchased at a local pet store due weather and time
- Chalk
First, the length of the cricket was measured (2 cm) and then the length of the cricket's jump was measured (5cm). Next, each of the students took a turn jumping (standing broad jump style) and the length of their jump was recorded. Then, the height of each of the students was measured. Finally, to determine the jump to size ratio, the jump was divided by the participant's height/length.
After the ratios had been calculated and discussed, the students participated in a cricket jumping race. While most of the crickets preferred jumping in the opposite direction of where the students were trying to coach them to jump, we did have a couple that went for gold.