Going back to school posts

Who's going back to school? - Students calculate the historical changes in U.S. population percentages of people who are going back to school and try to formulate reasons for these variations. 6.EE, 6.RP.3, 6.SP, 7.EE, 7.RP.3, 7.SP

Does it pay to get educated? - Students compare the earning power for people who have invested time, effort, and often money in order to strengthen their education and learning. 4.OA.2, 5.NBT.5, 6.RP.3, 6.NS.3, 6.SP.3 6.SP.4, 6.SP.5, 7.SP.4, MP.1, MP.3

How much does it cost to send you back to school? - Students work together to create a back-to-school needs list; confer and research to estimate the cost of these items; tally and compare the whole class's estimations. The final question concerns the amount of time needed to work to earn enough for these costs. 4.OA.3, 4.NBT.3, 6.SP.3, 6.SP.5, 7.EE.3, MP5, HSF, HSA

Labor Day, 2017

In this short activity, students learn the meaning and history of Labor Day as they look for patterns emerging from the Labor Day dates over the past years. Students then use those observed patterns to predict future dates of the holiday.

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Have you seen more monarch butterflies lately?

In mid-August and early September, the Monarch butterflies begin their annual migration south to more moderate climates to hibernate and overwinter.  It is an incredibly long migration and fascinating to observe.  But, the populations data on Monarchs has seriously changed and apparently students and conservation groups can help the butterflies to be successful in their journey.

In this activity students read charts, do a little research, and make observations about the decline and resurgence of Monarchs.

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Does it pay to get educated?

Updated!

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Why should students do well in school, graduate high school, or go on to college?  In this activity median earnings by various education levels are explored.  Students compare the earnings of a non-high school grad with workers who graduated high school and went on to complete higher education degrees.  Hopefully, after completing this lesson, students will have a little more motivation to do well this school year and in the future.

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How many baseballs are in this truck?

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Old Dominion Freight Line is offering 2 free tickets to the next 3 World Series to the person who guesses closest to "How many baseballs are in this truck?". The contest end August 31st, so do your figuring soon and submit your guesses.  You need to be 18 years or older to enter, so get help from an adult. Submit your guesses here:  Seats to the World Series Sweepstakes.

We have created a math activity so that students can reason and apply math to solve a true real world problem.  Plus, they get to refine their estimates and increase their chances of winning World Series tickets!  This could be a great way to get kids working together on an engaging problem early in the school year.  Enjoy!

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How much does it cost to send you back to school?

School-gear

Back to school spending is huge and students might not appreciate what it costs to send them back to, essentially, their job of learning.  In this activity students decide what equipment and supplies are necessary, estimate how much that will all cost, confer with groups or partners 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 get estimating, researching, reasoning, calculating and communication skills honed for the coming year.

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