Using his famous mashed potato recipe, Brian has asked students to change decimals to fractions, to calculate ingredient measures for various-sized Thanksgiving gatherings, to explain their thinking in calculating these figures and to judge how many servings could be created…
Let your students marvel at World Record winning giant pumpkins as they use proportions to calculate the quantities of pumpkin puree and the number of pumpkin pies that could be made from one of these giants. To introduce the task…
The world record for the largest cup of coffee was recently set (see picture above). In this activity students explore scale, similar figures, volume and measurement as they estimate the amount of coffee that this record-sized mug holds. Students also…
Revised! We’re watching another Stanley Cup playoff now. Will there be any really long games during the playoffs? In 2013, a Stanley Cup playoff match between the Bruins and Blackhawks went into 3 overtimes. People stayed up way too late…
Mike Trout just signed a huge contract. He’ll be receiving $430 million dollars playing for 12 years with the Los Angeles Angels. Let’s take a look at some of the other big world sports’ contracts from the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB…
Tuesday, March 5, 2019, will be the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of the season of Lent. Mardi Gras is a last hoorah and is celebrated throughout the world with feasting, partying, and general indulgence. In New Orleans…
The President’s have only received a pay increase 5 times in the United States. Picture it with a step graph. Calculate the actual salary using the CPI (Consumer Price Index). Do the Presidents need a raise?
Lorenzo Quinn, an Italian sculptor, created and temporarily installed this piece of art entitled “Support” in Venice. Quinn used his own children’s hands to design this piece. His intention was to demonstrate our need of human support to ensure the…
Note: This is a remake of our 2014 “How Much Does a Lego Cost” activity How much could the Lego Millennium Falcon cost? Student first make a guess and then think about what information would be useful in order to…
Listen to students initial thoughts as they wrestle through what “bigger” means … length? height? wheel-base? volume?
At about 10:00 am, April 15th, April’s calf was born. Everyone will be talking about it and smiling constantly. Here’s some fun math stuff to bring with you for Holiday gatherings. The activity: April’s-calf.pdf
Willow weighed 125 pounds at birth and was 6 feet 1 inch tall. She will grow to her adult height of around 14 feet tall in only four years! How big would you be if you grew at her rate…
Even before your students check out the graphic below, ask them whether they think a game played at home gives their team an advantage. If so, how much of an advantage? Enjoy the discussion first. Then show the graphic.
People spend lots of time staring at their screens (glowing rectangles). Kids spend hours each day using their cell phones, computers, tablets, television and more. Use that interest to motivate your student’s analysis of screen ratios and what proportions they…
How many hours of HD video can my DVR strore? How about SD video? I love my DVR. I can record my shows and movies and watch them whenever I want. I know that when I record HD programs my…