Hands-On Math Projects with Real-Life Applications, Grades 3-5

Acknowledgments x

About This Book xi

About the Authors xii

Alignment to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and Focal Points xiii

How to Use This Resource xviii

Part One: Implementing Math Projects in Your Class

Chapter One: An Overview of Using Math Projects 3

Your Role as Teacher and Facilitator 3

Solving Multistep Problems 4

Developing Math Projects of Your Own 8

Chapter Two: Managing Math Projects 9

Organizing Your Class 9

Building and Maintaining a Positive Classroom Environment 10

Suggestions for Presenting and Implementing Projects 11

Conferences with Individuals and Groups 13

The Importance of Cooperation 13

Organizing Math Groups 14

Sharing Results 17

The Importance of Writing in Math Class 17

Using Technology in Math Projects 20

Chapter Three: Evaluating Math Projects 23

Observation Logs 23

Checklists 27

Point Systems 29

Evaluating Writing 30

Student Self-Evaluation 31

Teacher Self-Evaluation 33

Part Two: The Projects

Chapter Four: Math and Science 37

Project 1: Earth by the Numbers 39

Student Guide 1.1: Earth by the Numbers 42

Worksheet 1.2: Earth Extremes 43

Project 2: Geometry All Around Us 45

Student Guide 2.1: Geometry All Around Us 48

Data Sheet 2.2: Geometry Everywhere 49

Project 3: Planning a Spring Flower Garden 50

Student Guide 3.1: Planning a Spring Flower Garden 53

Data Sheet 3.2: Facts and Prices of Some Common Flowers 54

Worksheet 3.3: One-Inch Grid 56

Worksheet 3.4: Flower Cost Sheet 57

Project 4: Planning My School Lunch for a Week 58

Student Guide 4.1: Planning My School Lunch for a Week 60

Data Sheet 4.2: Food Choices for School Lunches 61

Project 5: Weather Observers 62

Student Guide 5.1: Weather Observers 65

Data Sheet 5.2: Weather Vocabulary 66

Project 6: Out of This World 67

Student Guide 6.1: Out of This World 70

Data Sheet 6.2: Some Major Events in Space Exploration 71

Chapter Five: Math and Social Studies 73

Project 7: When in Rome . . . 75

Student Guide 7.1: When in Rome . . . 78

Data Sheet 7.2: The Basics of Roman Numerals 79

Project 8: The Mathematics Hall of Fame 81

Student Guide 8.1: The Mathematics Hall of Fame 84

Data Sheet 8.2: Candidates for the Mathematics Hall of Fame 85

Project 9: The Numbers in a Travel Brochure 86

Student Guide 9.1: The Numbers in a Travel Brochure 89

Data Sheet 9.2: Country Highlights 90

Data Sheet 9.3: Directions for Making a Twofold Travel Brochure 91

Project 10: Making a Scale Drawing 92

Student Guide 10.1: Making a Scale Drawing 95

Data Sheet 10.2: How to Make a Scale Drawing of Your Classroom 96

Worksheet 10.3: Half-Inch Grid 97

Project 11: Favorites 98

Student Guide 11.1: Favorites 101

Data Sheet 11.2: Survey Topics 102

Data Sheet 11.3: How to Make a Frequency Table 103

Project 12: Scavenger Hunt for Math in Our Lives 104

Student Guide 12.1: Scavenger Hunt for Math in Our Lives 106

Data Sheet 12.2: Math in Many Places 107

Chapter Six: Math and Language Arts 109

Project 13: A Class Math Newsletter 111

Student Guide 13.1: A Class Math Newsletter 115

Data Sheet 13.2: Guidelines for Creating a Class Math Newsletter 116

Project 14: Family Matters and Math 117

Student Guide 14.1: Family Matters and Math 119

Data Sheet 14.2: Interview Tips 120

Project 15: Writing Poetry about Math 121

Student Guide 15.1: Writing Poetry About Math 124

Data Sheet 15.2: Three Types of Poems 125

Data Sheet 15.3: Tips for Poets 126

Project 16: Writing and Presenting Math Messages 127

Student Guide 16.1: Writing and Presenting Math Messages 130

Data Sheet 16.2: Possible Topics for Math Messages 131

Data Sheet 16.3: Examples of Math Messages 132

Project 17: Writing and Performing Math Skits 133

Student Guide 17.1: Writing and Performing Math Skits 136

Data Sheet 17.2: Sample Skit 137

Worksheet 17.3: Skit Ideas 138

Project 18: Writing Math Word Problems for Other Students 139

Student Guide 18.1: Writing Math Word Problems for Other Students 142

Data Sheet 18.2: Guidelines for Writing Math Word Problems 143

Data Sheet 18.3: Guidelines for Solving Math Word Problems 144

Project 19: Math Journals 145

Student Guide 19.1: Math Journals 148

Data Sheet 19.2: Guidelines for Keeping Math Journals 149

Chapter Seven: Math and Art 151

Project 20: Creating a Billboard That Advertises Math 153

Student Guide 20.1: Creating a Billboard That Advertises Math 156

Data Sheet 20.2: Billboard Basics 157

Worksheet 20.3: Math Billboard Idea Sheet 158

Project 21: Creating a Math Cartoon 159

Student Guide 21.1: Creating a Math Cartoon 162

Data Sheet 21.2: Cartoon Creations 163

Project 22: Painting a T-Shirt with a Math Slogan 164

Student Guide 22.1: Painting a T-Shirt with a Math Slogan 167

Data Sheet 22.2: How to Paint a T-Shirt 168

Project 23: Exploring Tangrams 169

Student Guide 23.1: Exploring Tangrams 172

Data Sheet 23.2: Facts About Tangrams 173

Data Sheet 23.3: How to Make a Tangram 174

Project 24: Picture This (Using Polygons to Model Fractions) 176

Student Guide 24.1: Picture This (Using Polygons to Model Fractions) 180

Worksheet 24.2: Modeling Fractions 181

Project 25: Making a Tessellation 182

Student Guide 25.1: Making a Tessellation 184

Data Sheet 25.2: Triangles 185

Data Sheet 25.3: Quadrilaterals 186

Data Sheet 25.4: Pentagons, Hexagons, and Octagons 187

Project 26: Making a Three-Dimensional Paper Sculpture from a Two-Dimensional Net 188

Student Guide 26.1: Making a Three-Dimensional Paper Sculpture from a Two-Dimensional Net 191

Data Sheet 26.2: Net for a Cube 192

Data Sheet 26.3: Net for a Tetrahedron 193

Data Sheet 26.4: Net for an Octahedron 194

Chapter Eight: Math and Recreation 195

Project 27: The Math in a Favorite Sport 197

Student Guide 27.1: The Math in a Favorite Sport 200

Data Sheet 27.2: Sports and Math 201

Project 28: Inventing a Math Board Game 202

Student Guide 28.1: Inventing a Math Board Game 205

Data Sheet 28.2: Guidelines for Creating a Math Board Game 207

Project 29: Creating Math Puzzles 208

Student Guide 29.1: Creating Math Puzzles 211

Data Sheet 29.2: Sample Math Puzzles 212

Project 30: Exploring Math Web Sites 213

Student Guide 30.1: Exploring Math Web Sites 215

Worksheet 30.2: Math Web Sites 216

Project 31: The Math in Planning a Birthday Party 217

Student Guide 31.1: The Math in Planning a Birthday Party 220

Data Sheet 31.2: Birthday Party Basics 221

Worksheet 31.3: Birthday Party Cost and Tally Sheet 222

Chapter Nine: Math and Life Skills 223

Project 32: Measuring Up in Metric and Customary Units 225

Student Guide 32.1: Measuring Up in Metric and Customary Units 228

Worksheet 32.2: Measure This 229

Project 33: Buying Books for the School Library 230

Student Guide 33.1: Buying Books for the School Library 233

Data Sheet 33.2: Book List 234

Worksheet 33.3: Book Cost and Tally Sheet 235

Project 34: It’s About Time 236

Student Guide 34.1: It’s About Time 238

Worksheet 34.2: Weekly Schedule 239

Project 35: Numbers in the News 240

Student Guide 35.1: Numbers in the News 242

Worksheet 35.2: Math Makes the News 243

Project 36: A Class Math Tournament 244

Student Guide 36.1: A Class Math Tournament 248

Worksheet 36.2: Problems for a Class Math Tournament 249

Project 37: Creating a Review for a Math Test 250

Student Guide 37.1: Creating a Review for a Math Test 253

Data Sheet 37.2: Tips for Writing Review Problems 254

Project 38: The Presenters 255

Student Guide 38.1: The Presenters 258

Data Sheet 38.2: Possible Topics for a Math Presentation 259

Worksheet 38.3: Presentation Planner 260

Project 39: Setting Up a Math Portfolio 261

Student Guide 39.1: Setting Up a Math Portfolio 264

Data Sheet 39.2: Math Portfolio Guidelines 265

Project 40: My Best Day in Math Class 266

Student Guide 40.1: My Best Day in Math Class 268

Worksheet 40.2: Remembering My Best Day 269