Category: Math and Social Studies

Jock tax 2023

In this activity students consider the remarkable differences in state taxes that high paid pro athletes have to pay. Students determine how much more money an athlete should be paid in a high tax state in order to offset the taxes.

Will sending you back to school this year cost a fortune?

In this activity students decide what equipment and supplies are necessary, estimate how much that will all cost, confer with classmates to refine their lists, and then research to find out more accurately how much it will probably cost to send them back to school. This activity could be used for students in upper elementary school all the way to high school. It offers an opportunity for kids to estimate, research, reason, calculate and communicate with each other.

It’s opening weekend for Barbie

This activity lets students express their excitement (or lack of) in seeing this new movie, study the data of previously successful movies, and predict whether Barbie will be a financial success.

Ice Cream Day – July 16th

We have two timely activities … Updated! All the ice cream that you can eat   All the ice cream that you can eat for only 10 cents!  Wow, that’s a great deal!  How great a deal was that? The history…

The 4th of July

Flag art, creating a 5-pointed star with one cut, fireworks on your calculator, hot dog eating contest, and a possible new, 52-star flag.

200 people

Let your students ponder this gif in full screen and then let them share what they notice and why this gif might have been created.

Father’s Day and Juneteenth

For Father’s Day Thank you Mother and Father for all of those diapers – Students compare the cost of buying disposable versus cloth diapers. They estimate how much they cost their parents in diapers and consider how much they will…

Memorial Day 2023

Who are we honoring?  How did the holiday come about?  Isn’t Memorial Day usually on May 30th?
Students learn a little about the history of the holiday, analyze the possibilities and patterns for when it is celebrated and make observations about the incredible numbers of deaths that have been caused by war.

The 8th billion baby

How fast is the World’s population growing? Will the world’s population size increase indefinitely?  Are all countries’ populations increasing at the same rate? What are some of the factors affecting this growth?

Mother’s Day ideas (14 activities)

Updated! How much do we spend on Mother’s Day – Use the Mother’s Day event to engage your students in approximating, reasoning, and investigating as students estimate how much is spent in the United States for Mother’s Day. For what…

New bust of King Charles … in chocolate

Saturday, King Charles will be crowned as the King of the United Kingdom. Artists at the Mars Wrigley company made a gorgeous chocolate bust of the King wearing his military uniform. We wondered how much that big piece of chocolate cost to make.

Earth Day actions for our planet

We have 16 activities that you could use for Earth Day! Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day. Help your students become activists for our planet? We have 16 activities that support recycling, conserving resources, awareness of climate change and protecting our planet.…