"Use it in Real Life!"
When math exists beyond the classroom walls, students will be able to make connections with their lives. This lesson plan provides two ways for students to connect math skills to their lives. This lesson can be used once, or as an ongoing part of instruction throughout the year.
Objectives
Students will:
—Explain how a math operation works.
—Explain an example of how to use that skill in real life
—Create a word problem that relates to the skill.
—Identify a moment when he or she used a math skill in real life.
Standard
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4
Model with mathematics
Materials
—Flocabulary math videos
—Paper
—Large poster or parchment paper that students can write on
Time
1 class period
Sequence
1. Watch a Flocabulary math video. As you are reviewing the math skills, lead the class in a brainstorm about the ways that you could use the skill in real life. Many videos will give you a few examples to start with. If you are teaching addition, for example, you could lead with an example about counting the total number of toys each child has, by adding up how many toys each kid in the family has. If you're covering probability, students might describe figuring out how likely they are to win different types of games.
2. Have students brainstorm additional scenarios on their own.
3. Ask students to create a word problem that challenges another student to use the real life math skill. Have students swap their word problem with another student, solve, and review. See our word problem lesson for more details.
Extension
1. Put up a poster in a section of the classroom and title it "Real Life Math Experiences." Determine whether you'd like this activity to be extra credit or a required assignment.
2. Explain to students that they should be on the lookout for moments in their life where they are using math.
Examples could be:
-Figuring out how much time they have to get ready for school
-Determining how much milk they needed to make a cookie recipe
-Using the pythagorean theorem to figure out how much rope they need to pitch a tent
3. During the opening moments of class (or another time if it works for your schedule), have students go up to the poster and add any real life math moments. They should list what happened and which math skill they used. Students who have added their moment can share with the class. Depending on whether the example relates to a topic you're covering, or one you'd like to review, you can use a Flocabulary video to cover the topic.