Cars, Critters, and Barbies



Unit 6 Problem: How Big is Barbie?

Purpose:

The goal of this project is to “scale” a Barbie doll to human size and to make realizations about how these dolls and figures may have a deeper impact in our culture.

Materials:

• Barbie or Barbie-like doll

• Measuring tape

• Large roll of paper

• Colouring pencils

Procedure:

1. BARBIE'S ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS - Measure the various attributes of the doll.

• Make sure to include height, head, chest, waist, inseam, and foot.

• These measurements must all have the same units, so please use CENTIMETERS for everything.

• Use the tape measure and/or string provided for accuracy.

• In the “Data” section of this report, fill in your results to the “Barbie size” column.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR SCALE FACTOR - Use the fact that the average female height in Canada is 163.0 cm (approximately 5' 4") and find the ratio of Barbie to an average female.

• Use the formula below to identify your scale factor:

• Complete the calculation in the “Data” section below. Remember to REDUCE and round to one decimal place!

3. DOLL/FIGURE'S REAL-LIFE MEASUREMENTS - Use this ratio to find Barbie’s other measurements if she was a real person.

• Using your scale factor (identified in #2) and the formula triangle below, calculate Barbie’s real-life measurements.

• In the “Data” section of this report, fill in your results to the “Barbie in real-life” column. Round to the nearest whole number!

4. Using Barbie’s real-life measurements, draw a life size version of Barbie in 2D. Remember you will need to approximate the 3D measurements into 2D. Don’t forget to colour her (Barbie has always been a very colourful character).

Data and Observations:

Scale factor calculation (SHOW your work!): Barbie’s height : Average female height

Table 1: Measurement of Doll Proportion and Calculated Real-Life Measurements

|Measurements |Barbie size |Barbie in real-life |

| | |(Round to whole number) |

|Height | | |

|Length of head | | |

|Width/diameter of head | | |

|Length of neck | | |

|Width of shoulders | | |

|Inseam | | |

|Length of arm | | |

|Width/diameter of hips | | |

|Width/diameter of stomach | | |

|Width/diameter of chest | | |

|Length of foot | | |

FOR COMPARISON:

Convert these real-life measurements (in inches) to centimeters using a scale of 1:2.54 (NOTE: Round to the nearest whole number).

|In inches:   |Height – 64” |Head – 6.5” |Chest – 11.5” |Waist – 11” |Inseam – 32” |Foot – 9” |

|In cm:   |Height – |Head – |Chest –_ |Waist – |Inseam – |Foot – |

Analysis: Answer the following questions in full sentences, on a separate piece of paper and attach.

1. What are your initial impressions as you look at your results?

2. Which measurements were out of proportion with real-life human beings? Look for measurements that have a more than 3 cm difference. Were they too big or too small?

3. Why do you think Barbies are designed with such measurements?

4. Do these designs have a social impact on our culture? Explain your point of view.

[pic]

[pic]

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Barbie’s height : Average female height

Real life

Barbie original

Scale factor

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