FAMILY FUN AT HOME
Activity 1 (Grades 3-4)
At the beginning of summer break, measure all siblings in the family using customary units (feet). Convert to inches. (1 foot = 12 inches.)
The last day of summer break, repeat the process. Find the range to see how much growth occurred over the summer for each child by subtracting the beginning height from the ending height. This can be done with centimeters converting to millimeters as well. One centimeter equals ten millimeters.
EXTENSION: Find objects in and around the house that are about the same length/height as you. Measure the object and compare to you. Record the difference between your height and the object at the beginning of summer break and also at the end of summer break. (Subtraction and estimation skills).
Activity 2 (Grades 3-4)
Using an inch ruler, have your child measure the length and width of various objects around the house. For example, coffee table, favorite poster, movie case, CD case, placemat etc.
Determine the object's perimeter by adding the lengths of all of the sides. If the object is a square or rectangular shape, calculate the area as well. (Area = length x width).
You can also use centimeters (metric ruler) instead of inches (customary ruler).
Activity 3 (Grades 4-5)
Have your child help organize your DVDs and VHS tapes. While cleaning, have him/her convert the minutes of the movies to hours and minutes.
For example: Running time = 110 minutes. 110 minutes= 1 hr and 50 min.
List the movie titles in order of longest to shortest or shortest to longest movie.
Activity 4 (Grades 5-6)
Keep a journal for 5 days and record how many hours you sleep, eat, watch TV/movies, play video games, play for recreation (outside or board games) and any other routine daily activity.
Record each category as a fraction of a day by placing the number of hours spent on the activity on top as the numerator and making "24" the bottom of the fraction (denominator).
Remember: all 24 hours in each day should be accounted for. For example, on Monday, you slept 10 hours (10/24), ate 2 hours (2/24), played 6 hours (6/24), watched TV or played video games 4 hours (4/24) and do other things 2 hours (2/24).
Convert each category to a fraction, decimal and percent. To convert to a decimal, divide the top number (numerator) by the bottom number (denominator), then convert to a percentage by multiplying the decimal by 100. For example, 6/24 = .25 = 25%.
EXTENSION: Simplify the fractions first and then convert. For example, 6/24 = 3/8.
Activity 5 (Grades 3-4)
Have your child look around the house for things/objects that represent less than 1/2, greater than 1/2 but less than 1 whole and things that are equal to or greater than 1 whole.
Make a booklet and list your findings or draw pictures of them.
For example, a bottle of liquid hand soap that is less than 1/2 full.
Activity 6 (Grades 6)
Using the newspaper or sports Web site (i.e., www.espn.go.com) , list the top 5 scores for each game. Convert their field goals made to attempted. For example, if they made 7 and attempted 12; divide 7 by 12 = 0.583 which rounds to 58%). Convert each to a fraction: 7/12, a decimal 0.58 and a percent 58%. Order from least to greatest or greatest to least.
Activity 7 (Grades 4-6)
This activity reinforces multiplication facts and the concept of area.
You will need centimeter grid paper, 2 dice and 2 different colored pencils.
Determine who goes first by the roll of the dice.
Player 1 rolls both dice and finds the product of those two numbers. For example, a roll of a 6 and 4 would be 24. On the grid, player 1 outlines a 6 by 4 rectangle shading in the area.
Play continues for player 2 in the same way using the same piece of grid paper.
The game ends when both players have rolled areas that cannot fit on the grid. The player with the highest area (the one that colors in the most squares) wins.
OUT ON THE TOWN
Activity 1 (Grades 5-6)
The next time you are at the mall, gather a small, medium and large cup from each of three different restaurants in the mall's food court. Write the price of the drink on one side of each cup. Display the cups so your child can compare size and price. Have your child estimate which cup is the best buy.
Fill each cup with water. Use a measuring cup to measure the amount of fluid ounces each cup can hold and record that information for each cup.
Calculate the price per fluid ounce by dividing the price by the total fluid ounces and write it on the cup.
Finally, have your child compare the price per ounce of each cup and determine which cup is truly the best buy! Was their estimate correct?
Activity 2 (Grades 3-6)
Next time you are watching your favorite sport on TV or in person, have your child find the product of 2 players' jerseys by using multiplication. For example, Dirk Nowitzki is #41 and Josh Howard is #5. 41 x 5 =205.
VARIATIONS
To make the activity easier, you could find the sum of the 2 jerseys or the difference (addition and subtraction)
For a more challenging problem, increase the number of players' jerseys you use for each problem. For example, use 3 players' numbers or all 5 players' numbers out on the basketball court at one time.
Bonus Question: The product of the numbers on two player's jerseys is 84. The difference between the two numbers is 5. What are the numbers on the jerseys?
Answer: 12 and 7. The product of 12 x 7 =84 and 12-7 =5.
VACATION FUN:
Activity 1 (Grade 6)
Planning a Trip: Visit a local AAA or travel agent and various airline Web sites. Determine which airlines offers more for the money.
Figure the total miles for your family vacation round trip.
For example, Dallas to Chicago = 803 miles round trip. Airline "A" cost is $219 per ticket RT. Take the total price for the ticket and divide it by total miles = price per mile.
$219/803 =$0.27 price per mile.
Repeat these steps using the round trip cost for the same trip on other all airlines to determine which is the better value.
EXTENSION: If driving for vacation, figure approximate cost for gasoline Ex: 803 miles RT and our car gets approx 18 miles per gallon.
So, 803 miles /18 miles per gallon = 44.6 gallons of gas needed for the trip.
Gas is approximately $2.85 per gallon.
Therefore $2.85 x 44.6 =$127.11 for gas cost.
Activity 2 (Grades 5-6)
If you are planning on taking a trip on a plane this summer, consider this. When taking carry on luggage, the carry on compartment measures approximately 14" (length) x 22" (height) x 9" (width). Measure the length, width and height of your bag to see if it will fit.
MATH CARD GAMES
Each of the following activities requires 1 deck of cards, a calculator and paper to keep score.
Activity 1 (Grades 3-4)
Addition of whole numbers, 2-digit + 2 digit
(For example, 29 + 31.)
- Remove face cards
- Remove 10s
- Aces = 1
- Jokers = 0
The game is for 2-4 players or teams. The object of the game is to score the most points by making and solving math problems with large answers.
Each player draws 4 cards--enough to make a 2 digit + 2 digit number. As each card is drawn it must be placed to form one of the numbers. The player must try to for the largest possible numbers. Cards may not be moved once they are placed.
After the cards are placed, players must calculate the answer to their problem. If the answer is correct, a player may record the answer as his/her score. If incorrect, (s)he must record a score of zero for that round. Players are encouraged to calculate each answer in their heads without paper/pencil or calculator and within a two- minute time limit. The score keeper may use a calculator to check the answers.
Record the answer for each player for each round.
The game ends when there are no cards remaining in the pack or at the end of four rounds, whichever comes first. The player with the largest total is the winner.
Activity 2 (Grades 3-4)
Subtraction of whole numbers, 3-digit - 2-digit (245-31)
This activity is identical to Activity 1 with the exception of the number of cards used and players are using subtraction. Also, players should be allowed to use scratch paper and pencils to calculate their answer.
Activity 3 (Grades 4-5)
Multiplication of whole numbers, 2-digit x 1-digit (35 x 5)
This activity is identical to Activity 1 with the exception of the number of cards used and players are using multiplication.
Activity 4 (Grade 6)
Multiplication of whole numbers, 3-digit x 2-digit (354 x 21)
This activity is identical to Activity 1 with the exception of the number of cards used and players are using multiplication. Also, players should be allowed to use scratch paper and pencils to calculate their answer.
Resources cited:
- Math Projects: 50 Hands-On Projects That Correlate to Specific Math Concepts and NCTM Standards Grades 5-8 by Joyce A. Stulgis-Blalock, Mark Twain Media/Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc.
- Out & About Math: Hands-On Activities That Connect Math Skills With Real-Life Applications
- From Your Friends at The Mailbox, Grades 5-6
- Math Games & Activities With Cards, by Charles Lund
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