Camp Earth bound: Problem solving and finding for fun

Students will work together in small groups of four to six students to solve the following word problems. Their solutions will require them to practice interview techniques and create a database and/or spreadsheet of their results. This information will be the basis of the answers to the following eight word problems. Skills such as area, cost, calorie count, ratio, percentage and scale, as well as persuasive writing will be applied.

A lesson plan for grade 6 Mathematics

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Learning outcomes

Goals:

• Students will be given the opportunity to apply skills introduced to them during mathematics classes.
• Students will understand the need to “troubleshoot” (problem find) in order to plan for future events, so that all potential problems are covered.
• Students will recognize how one subject skill can be used to support another.

Objectives:

• Students will learn to work in autonomous groups to solve problems.
• Students will learn how to use data collection and spreadsheet skills as references in decision making.
• Students will observe that there can be more than one answer to a problem and that credible decision making is of importance.
• Students will compose a letter to persuade others of the credibility of their solutions.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

6 to 10 Hours

Materials/resources

• See your cafeteria manager for a listing of bulk pricing for food. You might also ask if he/her would be willing to volunteer some of his/her time to help the students understand how to order in bulk.
• Books on nutrition will be needed from your media center, as well as a video rating list of some sort.
• Large sheets of quarter inch graph paper will be needed for drawing out the sleeping plans.

Technology resources

Students will need an application that would allow them to produce a database and a spreadsheet. They will also need to word-process their problem solutions.

Pre-activities

It is assumed that the group of students that will be taking on this project have already proven themselves in the following mathematical areas: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, area, measurement, ratios, scale, percentages and our monetary system.

Students will be given the opportunity to interview their classmates with the following form and create a database from which to work. These interviews should take place orally in order to develop that skill.

The following information is to be gathered:

1. Student’s first and last name ____________________
2. Date __________ Grade ___________ Team ___________
3. Parent’s name(s) ___________________________________
4. # of brothers older _________ younger __________
5. # of sisters older _________ younger __________
6. Likes camping--not at all 1 2 3 4 5 very much
7. Favorite class subject ___________________________
8. Least favorite subject ___________________________
9. Favorite sport ___________________________________
10. Favorite movie __________________________________
11. Favorite two foods ______________________________
12. Hobbies _________________________________________
13. Future goal _____________________________________

Interviewer signature _______________________________

Activities

Let’s suppose that your class is planning a field trip to Camp Earth Bound for three days and two nights. A trip like this needs to be carefully planned. Using the information that you have gathered with your student information form, complete the following research before making a decision about taking the trip. Work with your partners to complete this assignment.

1. Earth Bound deals mainly with the subjects of mathematics and science. There will most likely be a lot of physical activity as well. According to your database, how many students would most likely enjoy the educational opportunities offered on this trip? What information do you need to look up in your database, in order to find this answer? What percentage of the class would benefit from this trip according to personal interests?
2. The decision is made to take this exciting class trip. The next question is how to get there? You will be taking the entire class as well as one adult chaperon for every eight students. A decision needs to be made as to the type of transportation to use. You could use the County’s Department of Education vans. These each hold eleven people including the driver. The class would have to supply the drivers. There are four vans available for the dates of your trip. Your other alternative is a commercial tour bus company. The driver is supplied and each bus holds thirty-eight passengers. What is your best option for transportation and how did you reach your decision?
3. Your teachers and parents have met to discuss your trip. Since this is such a unique opportunity, the parents want more of their children to join in on the fun. It has been decided that any brother or sister age ten to thirteen should be allowed to go as well. How many siblings would be going with your class? Now how many children total are traveling? Do you need more data to figure this out? If so collect it. How does this change the amount of chaperones needed? How does this change transportation decisions? Make your corrections.
4. Okay, now you have the numbers of people that will be going to Earth Bound and you have organized the transportation situation. Sleeping arrangements have to be handled. Everyone will be bringing a sleeping bag and pillow. Each lodge has a loft for sleeping space. Let’s imagine that the dimensions of the main floor of the lodge are 50′ X 24′ and the sleeping loft is one half of that. Let’s say that the average sleeping bag is 36″ X 77″. How many students is there room for in the loft? You will need separate sleeping quarters for male and female students. Is one lodge building going to be enough? Can you find any other problems that need to be solved for your sleeping arrangements? Draw out the sleeping arrangements to scale using 1/4″ to equal 1′. How large a sheet of paper will be needed?
5. What about eating? You will need supplies for a total of how many meals? You will be traveling to Earth Bound on one day, spending a night and remaining a full day, spending another night and returning during the late afternoon of the third day. You have the following information to determine menus:

• Suggested calorie levels daily:
  

  Women	1800 to 2000
  Men	2500 to 2900
  Children 10 yrs to 14 yrs	2200 to 2700

• Breakfast:
  

  one bowl of cold cereal

  8 oz. of fruit juice

  2 slices of toast with butter and/or jelly

• Lunch:
  

  one lunch meat/cheese sandwich(lettuce/tomato optional)

  one piece of fresh fruit

  8 oz. of milk

  one individual bag of chips

• Dinner:
  

  one 4oz. serving of meat

  one cup serving of starch

  one cup serving of cooked vegetable or salad

  8 oz. of milk

  one cup of ice cream

  A mid morning and mid afternoon snack will also be provided.

  With the information given above, design healthy menus for the meals needed for the trip. You may have to provide additional information through research in the media center and your kitchen or grocery store. You might also want to divide up this work among your group’s members. Come up with a shopping list including all food supplies you will need as well as the total amounts of supplies needed. Can you find any other problems that you may have to address when dealing with the menus? If so, what are they? Try to solve the problems that you find.

6. Most of your time will be scheduled for you with educational activities; however, you will have 45 minutes of free time in the morning hours and 60 minutes of free time in the afternoon. The following areas will be open to you: swimming, shooting hoops, drawing and sketching, quiet reading, hiking a trail. Using the data collected on your class, which selections are apt to be the most popular and how many adult chaperones will be need to be assigned to each activity?
7. It has been decided that one video will be shown each night for entertainment. It will have to be something that is rated “G” but does not necessarily have to be educational. Ask in your library for a rating sheet or other publication. One might be VIDEO HOUND published by Visible Ink Press. Look over the data from your class and make the decision as to what videos should be rented and tell how you came to your decision.
8. As you can see it takes a lot of planning for a trip of this sort. What have you missed? What other problems could arise that you should be prepared for? Find at least three more problems and show how they can be avoided in order to have a safe, comfortable and enjoyable trip.

You’ve done an admirable job. How would you convince your school administration to allow this trip? How would you show that the time away from the classroom is worth while? Put your ideas into a persuasive writing piece. Good Luck!

Assessment

Since each database will be different depending on the information collected, the teacher will be assessing student reasoning along with mathematical skills. One way of doing this is to have daily conferences with the group. You will need to know how the work was divided among the group members. This might require some intervention depending on the students. Writing skills as well as math should be assessed. You might want to give both a group grade as well as individual grades.

Below are some suggested elements that might be used on a scoring rubric:

1. The individual comes to the group prepared to work.
2. The individual completes all their tasks for the group on time and with quality.
3. The individual participates in a constructive manner.
4. The individual shares the responsibility of helping the group get the job done according to the directions ans on time.
5. The group dedisions were backed by good logic and credible reason.
6. Group work shows evidence of problem finding as well as problem solving.
7. All mathematical computations are correct.
8. All writing mechanics are correct and of high quality.
9. All work is neat and presentable.

Supplemental information

This curriculum was written on the request from a sixth grade Mathematics teacher for curriculum compacting needs. A group of students were pre assessed and showed mastery of the skills the teacher was about to introduce. These students were sent to the AIG Resource room for the duration of the project. The classroom teacher did assessment of the project. This project could also be managed in the regular classroom with daily teaching conferences with the student group.

This lesson could also be modified for grades five or seven according to the ability levels of your students.

Related websites

Web sites would most likely not be used, but this should not prevent the classroom teacher from setting up some sort of template if they feel it might aid their students in creating their databases.

Comments

Be sure to allow enough time for your student group to discuss as they problem solve and find. This oral discourse is also part of the life skill of group cooperation and planning in the work place.