Lab Name Rate, Ratio and Speed and Relationship between Quantities Using using traceroute to see how traffic is transferred between Internet Service Providers.
Subject Area Mathematics
Grade 8 and 9
Topic Functions in tables, graphs and equations.
Experiment Title Using Traceroute to see how traffic is transferred between Internet Service Providers during a search of a webpage and also using the data gathered by analyzing the results.
Hardware Linux machines (ex laptop, raspberry pi).
Software COSMOS toolkit framework or https://traceroute-online.com/
Number of Sessions to teach the topic 5-6 sessions.
Educational standards to be addressed CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.F.A.1
Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output. The graph of a function is the set of ordered pairs consisting of an input and the corresponding output.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.F.A.2
Compare properties of two functions each represented in a different way (algebraically, graphically, numerically in tables, or by verbal descriptions).

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.CED.A.2
Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales.
COSMOS concepts to be used for the lab Internet service providers (ISP), routing, IP Addresses, traceroutes, response time, route hops.
K12 Educational Goals (How the educational goals are achieved through teaching using the experiment, how the topic is connected to the COSMOS concepts used)
  • Teaching Functions and Equations using Traceroute to see how traffic is transferred between Internet Service Providers while searching for a webpage.
  • They will use this data and establish the relationship between route hops and response time presented as tables, graphs, equations ( for linear/non-linear ) and discuss interpretations of the results.
Short Description and Walk-through of the experiment
  1. Day 1 Using the subway map and the google map, students will search places that they will visit using the subway trains and record the number of hops taken with the different options and the time it takes to travel between hops.
  2. Day 2 Students will present and discuss the information gathered from this activity using the graphic organizer provided and share the results to the class using tables, graphs (with correct color and legend) and equations.
  3. Day 3 Using the gnuradio/COSMOS toolkit, the students will perform the experiment on using traceroute to see how traffic is transferred between Internet Service Providers.
  4. Day 4 Students will discuss the similarities and differences of the hops done travelling on the train and the hops happening in a traceroute. Graphic organizers will be shared and will be used to present data.
  5. Day Project Brainstorming and Division of Tasks:
    • Search their 5-7 favorite places for summer vacations outside the country and possible 5-7 universities here in the country or abroad where you wanted to study for College.
    • Find out the hops using the https://traceroute-online.com/:
      • US-Examples:
        • Columbia University
        • Binghamton University
        • Stanford University
        • Yale University
        • Duke University
        • University of Texas
        • Wisconsin University
        • UCLA
        • UNLB
      • NON-US Universities:
        • University of Oxford
        • Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
        • University of Toronto
        • University of Tokyo
        • National University of Singapore
        • University of Melbourne
      • Vacation:
        • Cultural Heritage in China
        • African-American Museum
        • Yellow Stone Park
        • Vatican City
        • Eiffel Tower in France
        • Bahamas
  6. Present your final presentation through:
    • Powerpoint showing relationships of the quantities in accurate graphs, tables, and equations with discussions on similarities and differences of the data gathered/findings of the various experiments performed.
    • World map with the hops (with push pins and strings) for bulletin board display.
    • Competition on which group could find the most number of hops or internet service providers in a traceroute. The top 3 will get extra credit on this project.
Testbed mapping of the experiment The experiment can be extended by executing it into a COSMOS Toolkit using the traceroute after an analogy of the subway train hops were understood as an activity following the class discussion on Functions.

Experiment Execution

Press this the START button to open the traceroute application. You can use the following link to find an IP address for a specific country. Follow the instructions on the worksheet to find the distance and the latency for each country.

Experiment Material

NGSS Lesson Plan
Worksheet
Other

© 2018 COSMOS Project. Created by Juditha Capa Damiao, Joseph F. Lamb School