Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2019

As we get ready for next week's holiday, students can study a map of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, describe, measure and hypothesize why this route was chosen and then calculate how long each band will be marching and at what time they will arrive at the finish. Students even approximate the volume of two past parade balloons including Pikachu from and the 2013 Wizard of Oz balloon. Very fun and timely with lots of Common Core standards addressed.  Try the whole activity or any of the different tasks in the activity with your class. Bob Olsen, a 5th/6th grade math teacher from Illinois, sent us this activity a few year ago.  We've updated it again this year with the parade's current facts and balloons.