Listen to students initial thoughts as they wrestle through what "bigger" means ... length? height? wheel-base? volume?
Willy Makit and Betty Wont
I have to go to the bathroom pretty badly. I have to admit that I have been holding it in for a while. Finally! I see a bathroom sign! Wait ... it is in kilometers? How far is that? Should I run?
The activity: have-to-go.pdf
Really big beach towel
Act One: Check out this beach towel! What do you wonder? What would you like to know?
Towel project by Misael Soto.
Miami artist, Misael Soto (pictured on the left below), created this giant art project to make a statement about people sharing territory at the beach.
In the morning he brings sunscreen, snacks, drinks, and games to share and ... lays out his towel.
Giant iceberg breaks off from Antarctica
The crack in Antarctica's Larson C ice shelf has been growing for years. Has the speed of the rift's growth stayed about the same? increased? decreased? Do the math and discuss the implications.
The activity: ice-sheet-rift.pdf
Drinks at the Fair
At the amusement park, our friend, Jason, was intrigued with this sign for drink deals. He and his family come often to the park and, during the summer when it is hot, naturally drink a lot. Which is the best deal for them?
- 20 oz. cup for $4.29
- 30 oz. cup for $4.69
- A green refillable mug for $14.99 (free refills on day of purchase, $1 refills on other days)
- An orange $24.99 mug that includes unlimited free refills all season.
Maybe we should encourage bats instead of bug repellent
Bats eat mosquitoes ... lots of mosquitoes. Students compare a bat's weight to how much he can consume in one night. They calculate how much they would need to eat to consume a comparable proportion of food.
We compare the amount that an entire bat cave would eat in one night with the tremendous load of a giant dump truck. Unbelievable!