Missing Bike Dilemma
On Mackinac Island
A web quest activity for middle school students.
You will learn about map reading skills, and math while
solving the case of the missing bikes.
By Beth Kiekintveld
www.mackinac.com
You and two friends have been invited to 
shops
have all closed down so you will need to take your own bike. Do you know how to
get to the island?
Try the Arnold line.
Your first problem is that you have never been there
before, and have no idea how big the island is, or where anything is. Your friend
has been on the Internet looking up information on the island, and found some
URLs with great maps that detail all of that information. Since you are
traveling by bike, you will want to use a bicycle map. To claim the
reward, and get reimbursed for your expenses, you must complete the task in
only 24 hours on the island, including one night in a motel. You will need to
document all of the hours spent searching for the bikes. Since this is an all
expenses paid trip 
–
you want to stay at the most expensive
place!
1. You sill be spilt into groups of three. You will work together as a group at times and separately at other times.
2.
You need to determine how long it takes you to
bike to different places. When you take hwy-185 (AKA
3. Since this is an all expenses paid trip, you will need to keep a log of how much money you spend. Do this in the same workbook, but on a different sheet labeled “expenses.” Since you will all eat and stay together, this can be done as one account. Make sure you document where you spent the money.
4. Keep track of the distance traveled in another spreadsheet labeled “distance.” Since each of you will take different routes, you will need three separate accounts on the same spreadsheet. You may use a calculator to determine distance traveled. Each leg of the journey must be documented, as well as the total distance each of you traveled. Again, I want a copy on a disk.
5. Click here for clues on where to look.
6. After completing the project, each group member must write a short paragraph that includes:
· Your name
· Group member’s names
· How well the other members contributed & participated
· How you contributed & participated
Use
each other!
Use
your teacher – you might be surprised at what she knows about
http://www.rybabikes.com/rybas3.htm This map is the map that Ryba’s gives to
people who rent bikes. Everything you need to know about tourist attractions
can be found here.
http://www.mackinac.com/maps/flashmap.html
This is a great site for an interactive map of
http://www.mackinacparks.com You will find
admission prices to
http://www.chasetrek.org.uk/tutorial/map.html
This is a tutorial on how to read maps. Included are compass directions and how
to read and use a mileage scale.
http://www.arnoldline.com/
This site gives departure times and prices for a round trip to the island.
http://wwwgrandhotel.com
The best place to stay on the island!!!
http://www.mackinac.com/
Information regarding restaurants and motels can be found here.
http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/excel/
This website will explain how to use Excel work sheets.
Your project will be graded on the following criteria:
1. Completeness of each spread sheet
(20 points each)
2. A copy of the map used with
roads taken highlighted
(10
points)
3. Creativity (5 points)
4. Participation (20 points)
5. Teacher used as a resource
(5 points)
6. Extra Credit: additional Word
page with pictures from places you searched for the bikes (10 points)
Conclusion
The math and map reading skills that you have learned here will be
useful in the “real world.” In the “real world” people do travel. Many of them
have time constraints and money budgets to keep like you have done in this
project.
Consider the following:
1. Did you know that there
actually are places where you cannot drive a car?
2. It would have been easier to
use a calculator (or mapquest) instead of a spreadsheet to determine the time
spent. So why know how to do it “by hand?”
3. When looking at
4. How important is map
reading? Will it help you navigate on your next vacation?
1. You all have
landed at the boat docks at
2.
You will be splitting up, using 2-way
radios and going individually, make sure each of you records your time and
distance traveled. You only need to record time spent traveling while looking
for bikes.
3.
You have heard from the boat
dock attendee that the bikes might be located at:
·
Arch rock
·
·
Devil’s Kitchen
4.
So after checking into your
hotel, you split up and search at the above places.
1. Since the bikes
were no where to be found, you radioed your friends to meet for supper downtown
at a restaurant of your choice.
2. It’s dark, so
you decide to go to your motel for the night, and get an early start in the
morning.
3. Make sure you
put the cost of dinner and where you ate in your spreadsheet. If menu prices
aren’t available, write down a reasonable estimate. (Don’t forget to tip!)
1. You get up
early for breakfast.
2. While eating
you overhear some people talking about seeing bikes laying around at
·
·
·
3. Split up and
each check one out.
1. While at
2. Places to check
out are:
·
Cemeteries
·
Sugar Loaf
·
Point Lookout
1. You were
successful in finding some bikes hidden at the cemeteries, but not all of them.
You found some paper near the bikes with the following places written on it:
·
Chimney Rock
·
Battlefield
·
2. Get back on the
two-way radio, and decide who should check out which point. Again – use the
shortest distance as your guide.
1. This time a few
bikes were found hidden in the woods by the Battlefield.
2. You are hungry,
and decide to eat at British Landing. Get on the two-way radio, and tell your
friends to meet you there.
1. While talking
to the service person at British Landing, she mentions she’s seen some
suspicious activity at Cave in the Woods, near the airport.
2. All three of
you decide to stick together and check it out.
Clue #8
1. You find the
remaining bikes. Now you need to get to town and inform the authorities.
2. They will want
to see you log book of time spent to give you your reward.
3. Make sure you
have all of your expenses for breakfast, lunch, dinner, motel and any
admissions you had to pay documented.
4. Make sure you
have the distance traveled logged.
5. Make a copy of
the map, and highlight routes taken in three different colors.
6. Put this
together in a folder with a cover page. It is due one week from today.