Three Saint Patrick’s Day activities. (1) The probabilities of finding a 4-leaf clover; (2) the necessary proportion to dye the Chicago river green for the day; and (3) nutritional evaluation of McDonalds’ Shamrock Shake. Plus, watch a great video to learn how to spot a 4-leaf clover.
Right now, just after sunset, in the southwest sky, you can check out the planets of Jupiter and Saturn as they get closer and closer to each other. They are millions of miles apart but they appear to be very…
Appalachian Trail Needs – Calculating the needs and rates involved in enduring this 2,168 mile trek.
Steepness and Fall Hiking – Use a little mathematics about percent grade change in hiking.
Two activities to help celebrate National Donut Day
How many donuts is that = huge box of donuts to approximate.
How have donuts changed = torus volume measurements, formula intuition, and algebraic transformation of one formula into a second formula.
Students consider how to determine the best candy haul prediction. The math ideas of measurement error and percent error are introduced. Students then predict their own Halloween candy collections numbers and compare their predictions to their actual haul using measurement and percent error.
Fall is a beautiful time of year for hiking. Many students will be walking in the woods and mountains to enjoy the colorful leaves and the cool weather outside. Let them combine what they are doing with their families and…
Locked in a smelly bathroom for one hour and then promised a lifetime of Whopper meals, an Oregon man sued BK when the manager’s promise was withdrawn. How much money should he ask for in his suit? The activity: BurgerKingBathroomLawsuit.pdf
It’s the talk of the town. Madden video games have had some issues. Check this one out. Here’s one that has Le’Veon Bell seeming to fly from the Bear’s goal line to the center of the field. Student’s can admire…
This activity is the first in our series on mental math tricks. Let your students develop their own individual way of mentally multiplying by 0.5, 5, 50, 500, and so on. We have a little practice and a requirement for…
Wow! It’s been a long time coming. The Chicago Cubs just won the World Series! The last time they won the World Series was in 1908 (For some perspective, that is the same time the first car, the Model T,…
We visited a Chic-fil-A recently. We had a great meal and my son loved playing in the play area. While at the play area I noticed two different signs that gave the…
There is yet another Oreo… This activity builds off the work that Dan Anderson’s math class revealed about Original Oreos and Double Stuff Oreos. Students begin by working with the weight of just the Oreo wafer and the total weight…
Act One: Take a look at the picture. What is the first question that comes to mind? How many donuts is that? What information would be useful? Act Two: See pictures below. Your students can view all of the pictures…
Help your students understand what they are reading or hearing about the California drought. Terms like acre-feet, chains, and furlongs are often used to describe the volume of the reservoirs. Give your class a little practice and appreciation of the…
Recently McDonald’s announced that by 2016 they will use only chicken raised without the antibiotics that are used in human medicine. McDonald’s plans to join Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread, Chiptotle, and Whole Foods in the move towards removing antibiotics in the…