www.tootsie.com

Dear Students:

In an attempt to satisfy the recent nationwide demand for patriotic items, our company decided to market the “I Love USA” Tootsie Roll^Ò. In a rush to get the product out to the consumer, several batches were shipped to stores without passing through our random quality control checkpoint. We are considering a recall of this candy. As you can imagine, this would be costly to our corporation and an inconvenience to our customers.

At the advice of our technical department we are sending these samples in hopes that you can aid us by doing some random product testing. Please check the mass to volume ratio for each of the samples we have sent you. Compare the same sizes of Tootsie Rolls^Ò to each other, and also check to see how the different sizes compare to each other. Report your data in table form and organized into graph(s) as well. We will compare your data with that from other test sites and our own standards to determine if the flag Tootsie Rolls^Ò meet those standards.

We are sending candies to schools across your state in hopes of collecting a great deal of data at low cost. We appreciate your help and although we cannot compensate you monetarily, we hope you will accept these samples of other products we make.

Yours truly,

Matt Matiks

Director Quality Control

Notes to the teacher:

Level Algebra 2

Objective: The students will discover the linear relationship between mass and volume. They will find the regression equation.

• Materials: You will need 2 or 3 sizes of Tootsie Rolls, for each group of two to three students. If you can’t find a third size of TR you could cut large ones into smaller pieces.
• 100 ml Graduated cylinders and water if you will measure the volume by water displacement.
• 2 or more electronic or triple beam balances (borrow them from the science dept)

You probably won’t be able to find the American Flag TR. You could just take regular tootsie rolls and change the story, or unwrap them. You could also rewrap regular tootsie rolls in colored Saran wrap or Aluminum foil. Again, change the story.

Procedure:

1. Distribute the letter to engage the students.
2. Show the students the supplies you have available to help them complete the task. Let them decide with group help, if necessary, what procedure they should follow.
3. Have the students collect their data in groups.
4. They should collect the data from at least 3 other groups.
5. Find the regression line correlation coefficient for the data.

I would not give the students all of the instructions in the beginning. After a majority of the groups have completed a step put the next instruction on the board.

The students will be instructed to write a one page paper that answers the following:

1. What does the y-intercept represent?
2. What does the slope represent?
3. If the Tootsie Roll company has this same problem with some of their other products Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies, Charms Blow Pops, Junior Mints what, if anything do you expect to change and why?
4. What type of correlation does the data have? What does this mean in regards to quality control for the Tootsie Roll company?

If you provide “product samples”, Tootsie Roll makes Dots, Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies, Charms Blow Pops, Junior Mints and other stuff. Check out their website. www.tootsie.com

Variation: Use marshmallows, mini and normal size or compare different brands of marshmallows.

Submitted by L. Willis-Moss