Put this under the project idea category of “you have got to be kidding me!” This is what these folks do for a job. They dive off of cliffs. I have never been so glad that I earned my living as a teacher!
This photo was taken in Acapulco. Our guide told us that none of the divers have ever been seriously injured. They start out as children and learn to dive off of the lowest rocks and gradually move up. My daughter was a competitive gymnast and it was fascinating to watch how gymnasts learned new skills. It took years to develop some skills and by the time they were doing them on different apparatus they were so well trained for so long, you really didn’t worry about them getting hurt.
Still, watching the divers, I held my breath!
So how long does it take for a diver to master the highest cliffs? Are there cliff divers in other places? What is the history of the Acapulco cliff divers? (Research, time line, report, display, Power Point…)
Do they use math when they dive? How? Could computers be used to make their dives even safer? How? How are computers used in other sports to improve achievement and safety?
While I really push the idea of authenticity, please don’t authentically dive off of a cliff to research this topic!
The Educational Journey 