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

Each easy-to-implement project includes background information for the teacher, project goals, math skills needed, a student guide with tips and strategies, and reproducible worksheets. Projects are designed to help students meet the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and Focal Points, and chapters are organized to show how math relates to language, arts, science, etc.--demonstrating the importance of math in all areas of real life. In Part I, Chapter 1 offers an overview of how to incorporate math projects in the classroom. Chapter 2 provides a variety of classroom management suggestions, as well as teaching tips, and Chapter 3 offers ways teachers may evaluate project work. Each chapter also contains several reproducibles that are designed to help students master the procedural skills necessary for effective collaboration while working on projects. Part II, "The Projects," is divided into six separate sections: Section 1. Math and Science Section 2. Math and Social Studies Section 3. Math and Language Section 4. Math and Art and Music Section 5. Math and Fun and Recreation Section 6. Math and Life Skills

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