Math Everyday: Projects to Highlight Math in Everyday Activities

By Learning Leaders Staff

Together with the student, draw circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles in different sizes. Label each shape. Ask: How is a square different from a rectangle? A triangle? Looking around the room, can he/she find shapes that look like the ones on the paper? (For instance, the clock is a circle; the chalkboard is a rectangle; the desktop may be a square; etc.) Cut out the shapes on the paper. Ask the student to combine the shapes to make new shapes or designs.
Make a calendar of important events with your student, such as birthdays, field trips, sporting events, holidays, etc. The calendar can span as many weeks or months as you wish. Which dates are important to the student? Is a field trip, vacation, music lesson, or recital approaching? Count the number of days, weeks, or months until the special date. Ask: How many days are left? Can you think of other ways to use addition, subtraction, or even multiplication with the calendar?
Using a map and a ruler, find out approximately how many miles there are between New York City and different destinations of interest to the student. For instance, how many miles are there between New York City and his/her grandparents' house in Puerto Rico or a friend's house in Buffalo, NY? Which place is the closest or farthest away? Ask the student to explain how he/she can tell. Subtract the shortest distance from the longest. What is the difference?

If the student is able, have him/her create a word problem about getting from one place to another. Here is an example word problem: Tony and Melissa are in the same class in New York City and are going to visit their cousins for the summer. Tony's cousins live in Miami, FL. Melissa's cousins live in Atlanta, GA. Who has the farthest distance to travel? How do you know? * Remind the student to look at the map's legend to calculate how many miles are represented by an inch. For instance, if one inch equals 300 miles, two inches would equal 600 miles. How many miles would three inches represent?