Business Valuation for Sharks -- Shark Tank Inspired Financial Literacy Project

Bringing the Entrepreneurial Spirit to your Classroom!

I might only watch one TV show. So what? It's the coolest show on the planet -- Shark Tank! This 21st Century Math Project takes students on an entrepreneurial journey that will help them understand some of the basics of small business finance.

It was also the landslide winner in next 21st Century Math Project Poll!

Name: Business Valuation for Sharks

Suggested Grade Level: 6-12

Math Concepts: Proportion, Percent and Data Analysis

Interdisciplinary Connections: Business, Financial Literacy, Accounting, Finance

Teaching Duration: 5-7 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $6 for a 22 Page PDF (3 assignment and answer keys) 

PDF Version: Business Valuation for Sharks @ TPT

The Product:  Students will create a small business plan or invention that you will pitch to a panel of Sharks in hopes that you get an investment (your grade depends on it!) They will be putting their knowledge of

Can I just show Shark Tank and pass
out on my desk? Answer = Probably Not

equity, revenue projections and valuation to the test all built around their own creation.

Although I've never taken a business or finance class, I think the last two years of watching Shark Tank have taught me more than I could have learned in a classroom. Watching the show has shown me what top executives find important in business, what types of numbers they are interested in and which types of products garner more interest from them.

While it would be impossible to cover all of these skill in a single math project, I've laid the foundation for students to grab onto some key financial terms and I've applied authentic math at each turn. Proportions, Percents and Analyzing Data Trends jump into the deep waters with this math project inspired by the popular TV show Shark Tank. Students learn some basic fundamentals of owning their own business while they learn foundational finance terms such as equity, value, EBIT and multiplier.

Hey! Don't talk bad about the Common
Core. I'm just starting to figure it out.

Bring the creativity into the math classroom! Bring the entrepreneurs. Educators don't believe our students have enough opportunities to be creative. Business leaders complain young workers aren't creative. You can't turn on the internet without seeing a story about another high school dropout who started a business and made 19 bajillion dollars. How are we supposed to work on creative? Hmmm... how about... let them be creative.

While the Common Core standards are all well and good (and this is mapped to them!), the words Common and Core don't quite lend themselves well to creativity.

In all it is four different assignments --

-- “Equity Share”. Students will compute proportions to determine equity.

-- “Valuation Station”. Students will be introduced to a basic accounting formula EBIT which is one method

You mean... I might actually learn
something that I would in college?

to compute a company’s valuation. Students will be introduced to the concept of a multiplier and will calculate valuations.

-- “Revenue Forecast”.  Students will analyze data to look for trends and project future income. They will
combine this skill with the EBIT skill from the previous activity and will analyze multipliers of related companies to estimate a multiplier for their own.

-- “Swimming with the Sharks”. Students will create a small business plan or invention that you will pitch to a panel of Sharks in hopes that you get an investment (your grade depends on it!) They will be putting their knowledge of equity, revenue projections and valuation to the test all built around their own creation.

EXTENSIONS:
Let a student run with a good idea. Encourage their creativity!

CSI Pre-Algebra is Now Live!

Coming to an Electronic Teacher Resource
Store Near You!

CSI: Pre-Algebra has arrived. I've been asked by a number of lower grades teacher about making something for them. It is nearly ready to go so be prepared to defend the world against the world conquering device! So here it is!

Each unit can be purchased separately or you could save some cash and buy the whole eBook! 

For those unfamilar with my CSI puzzles, I take a unit of math material, select a different world region and create a fictional crime spree with clues (aligned to the Common Core, hurray!)

HERE IT IS: The CSI Pre-Algebra eBook. 

You can now get the Interactive & Customizable Version of CSI Pre-Algebra @ NextLesson.org

When it is all together, here's what you will find.

Unit 1: Order of Operations & Expressions (South America) 
Unit 2: Factors, Primes & Multiples (Middle East) 
Unit 3: Equations & Inequalities (Europe)
Unit 4: Decimals (Oceania)
Unit 5: Exponents, Roots & Scientific Notation (East Asia)
Unit 6: Fractions (Central America)
Unit 7: Ratio, Proportion & Percent (Africa)
Unit 8: Coordinate Plane (Antarctica)
Unit 9: Data Analysis & Probability (North America)

Design a Zoo -- Integrated Geometry Area & Perimeter Project

While your Justin Beiber lovers may not be willing to admit it... they like doing assignments with ostriches on them. It's just a fact. In this 21st Century Math Project, students will plan and accommodate animals from all around the world. Turn your 7th period into a zoo.

Studies show increased engagement in math when ostriches are involved.

Name: Design a Zoo

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Geometry skills)

Math Concepts: Area, Perimeter, Irregular Figures, Apothems, Scale, Basic Algebra Skills

Interdisciplinary Connections: Design Planning, Zoo Stuff, Architecture.

Teaching Duration: 3-4 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $8 for a 27 Page PDF (1 project, 2 assignment and answer keys) 

PDF Version: Design a Zoo @ TPT

The Product: Students use a budget to purchase animals and architecture with the goal of building the zoo that can create the most revenue. 

I have well-fed pet meerkats in
my basement

Not going to lie. I indulged myself on this project. My 3 year old son loves going to the zoo. My 1 year old daughter would love going to the zoo if she realized she were at the zoo. But the secret is Mommy and Daddy love going to the zoo. Luckily we live next to like the 2nd best zoo in America -- the Columbus Zoo. 

At our zoo, the exhibits are so wonderfully accommodating for the animals. Others we have been to feel like the animals are packed in so tight they are sitting on my lap. While some may prefer it, I'd like my zoo animals to be able to turn around. Naturally the idea of area and perimeter fit perfectly with this idea. Sprinkle a little Zoo Swagg and hopefully this is a project that middle schoolers and high schoolers alike will enjoy.

Please tell me that assignment with the
buffalo on it has some geometry in it.
Answer: OODLES AND OODLES!

I choose to focus on unique shapes, regular polygons with apothems and irregular figures, students determine which exhibits fit which animals needs. Of course with irregular figures their will be needs for the practice with rectangles and circles, but in my experience these are done to death.

The assignments break down like this:

- In “Animal Wrangling” students will use area and perimeter skills to meet the different needs of different animals.

- In “Cage Match” students will determine the size of potential exhibits that which includes a basic shapes, regular polygons with apothems, and irregular figures. Which animal best fits in each exhibit? They will calculate and figure it out!

- In “Design a Zoo” students will dive in completely where they will work with a budget of $2,000,000 to select animals and build appropriate exhibits. A little algebra required.

- In "Zoo: Year 1" students will calculate how their choices led to profit. Tally up the student who has the most cash on hand to figure out a winner!

EXTENSION: Expanding the scale of the property can allow students to go crazy and build massive zoos. They will be somewhat limited in this assignment with space (intentionally so), but they may enjoy going farther with it! If you have an old copy of the PC game Zoo Tycoon they might enjoy it!

Lions, Tigers, Bears and 21st Century Math Projects. Math it up. Keep it real. Peace!

The Game of Life -- Financial Literacy -- Real World Math Project

A pure real world 21st Century Math Project that can work for a lot of different ages! Real world math projects are one of the most sought after resources. In my opinion, most everything I do is a real world math projects, but when most teachers want a REAL WORLD MATH PROJECT they are looking for something like this. So of course I had to do it, right? 

Keep it as real... as possible.

Name: The Game of Life

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Basic math skills)

Math Concepts: Basic Operations, Percents, Order of Operations

Interdisciplinary Connections: Budgets, Finances, Taxes, Monthly Payments, ummm. LIFE!

Teaching Duration: 5-10 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $10 for a 61 Page PDF (1 project, 3 assignment and handouts) 

PDF Version: The Game of Life @ TPT

The Product: Students are given a career and create a budget and make many financial choices along the way. "5 years later", they'll see if they are still standing.

Alright, money, real stuff, I dig.

When are we ever going to use this. While some math teachers are perfectly comfortable espousing all of the interdisciplinary connections and are able to articulate which professionals authentically use the topic they are teaching, there are many others who just want to say... uhhhh.... YOU JUST DO! 

Keeping it real, the average person isn't going to run into systems of inequalities very often, but they will certainly need to have mastered those basic operations! Percents and data analysis will also come into play nearly every day, but any time you see, touch, taste or smell money... they are sensing the jedi powers of math. 

Apparently it took an economic crash for our country to realize 90% of people have a hard time managing their money. So what do you do? Mandate a Financial Literacy component for every graduate! If you are the lucky math teacher that this got passed to, this might be for you .

Budget? Is that a candy bar?

I've tried to make the most awesome real world math project ever created. While I'm not sure I reached those heights (it's the thought that counts, right?) I've made something pretty cool. [Hey Reader, go to TPT and download the preview, you can see pretty much everything]. Housing, transportation, food, savings, debts, extras, donations, having babies, getting married, accidents, it's all here! I'm pretty sure my brother and I played one too many games on our Life board game. 

Of course, we don't jump right into the game first. I have designed three assignments that intend to build the skill necessary to survive in the real world!

Here's pretty much the breakdown.


In “Bookkeeping Basics” students analyze the spending of different individuals and determine whether or not they have the available funds necessary to purchase an item they would like. “Can I afford this?” 

In “Budget Busters” this assignment asks students to analyze the budgets and actual spending of different individuals. Are they spending within their budget? More they can analyze a budget, students will need to determine net pay after calculating their taxes. Students will need to translate between percents, fractions and decimals. 

Can't you just do some drill and kill?!
Answer - "Um never".

In “Monthly Payment 101”, this assignment asks students to calculate monthly payments of different loans. Students will also be asked to choose between different loans. 

and this leads to the mega project --

The [simulated] Game of Life. This project is multi-faceted, but you can modify (shorten as desired).  

Students will choose between 54 career cutouts which starts them off with an annual income, income tax rate, debt and savings account. 

With this information students will…

Consolidate their Debt. Students will choose a single loan to pay it back. They need to be careful what they pick because they don’t want to have a monthly payment they can’t afford. 

Once they have their loan’s monthly payment information they will…

Complete a Budget. They will calculate their Net Monthly Income and Create a Budget for their spending.

With their budget set, it is time to make…

Choices! They will select a plan for housing, utilities, phone, food, transportation, savings and extras. They need to be sure not to spend too much money. (All data is included). 

Once they are done with these tasks, they will put your choices to the test. They will complete SIMULATED YEARS. 

You will give students an Update (30 included) which will change  information regarding their employment, family changes and unforeseen obstacles! 

Students may get married or have children. If they get married, they need to find someone else in the class that also got married and POOF they are now partners on this project. They are married. If for instance, on their next update, they get divorced, they need to split their savings and move on. 

Students will then reassess their finances, re-evaluate choices and complete their Year 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5) assignment. 

EXTENSION: There's some pretty neat Financial Literacy software popping up online, but most of them are pay sites. 

Celebrate Congressional legislation with a 21st Century Math Project! If this is interesting I can do some more financial literacy stuff. 

Carbon Footprint -- Environment Focused STEM Project

Bring an authentic environment-based 21st Century Math Project  to your Algebra classroom with Multi-step inequalities! Help student understand why we are still getting blizzards in the spring!

Paint your classroom green! Figuritively. Don't literally paint anything

Name: Carbon Footprint

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra 1, skills)

Math Concepts: Multi-step Inequalities, Unit Conversion, Multiple Representations

Interdisciplinary Connections: Travel, Local Food, Carbon Emissions, Environmental Science

Teaching Duration: 2-4 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $6 for a 27 Page PDF (1 project, 2 assignment and handouts) 

PDF Version: Carbon Footprint @ TPT

The Product: Students complete an Amazing Race style challenge where they must finish a cross country trip and select choices that are within their carbon footprint, financial and time budgets!

Hey kid, all administrators drive Hummers.
It's required! No, I don't know about its
carbon footprint! Oh, really?!

While you may not raise sufficient capital to put a fleet of windmills in your school parking lot, you can still teaching some environmentally conscious mathematics! 

In the 2000s, the Kyoto Protocol aimed to set goals for an individuals carbon emissions by country. The United States decided this wasn't something they wanted to be part of. When doing some inequality mathematics, you can quickly see how challenging this would be for an average, I like to drive my own car 30 miles a day and eat a hamburger for dinner type of person. Although students may not make an drastic life changes (maybe they will) it will at least be an assignment that ensures they at least see a link!

Although students will learn elements of carbon emissions, the lessons focus on creating and using multi-step inequalities to model situations and make decisions. With an increasing focus on environmental issues this explores a view on a science topic that students may never have been exposed to before.

You mean like I have a theoretical
footprint because I eat Hot Cheetos?

-- Planes, Trains & Automobiles.  Students will write multistep inequalities to determine if individual’s daily transportation needs exceeds the CO2 emissions totals described in the Kyoto Protocol.

--  Well-Traveled Food. Students will use the Food Footprint Chart to complete this assignment which provides a look at food production and transportation emissions and the difference between local and traditional food sources.

which leads to the project --

-- the Amazing [more environmentally conscious] Race. Using a CO2 Emissions Per Activity chart, student will make travel and food choices on a cross country trip.

This is all great and everything,
but what could be do to take action
in our local community?

It doesn't take much looking to find this issue in the news in one shape or form and kids like travel and food maybe it's a great match for you!

EXTENSION: Student could certainly track their own Footprint over a 24 hour period. Other ideas could be things like a recycling club, a push for automated light switches, a student presentation to the school. 

This 21st Century Math Project is endorsed by Polar Bears everywhere! Well that's an exaggeration, I've only asked the two at our zoo and I'm not sure if that's exactly a representative random sample since they were born in captivity.

Person Puzzles -- Cesar Chavez -- Order of Operations

The most anxiously awaited 21st Century Math Project Algebra 1 puzzle unveiling of 2013! Come on down, Cesar Chavez! 

Farm Workers of America, Unite!

Name: Person Puzzle -- Cesar Chavez

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra, Prealgebra skills)

Teaching Duration: 10-30 minutes

Cost: $0.75 for a 2 Page PDF (1 assignments and answer key) 

Person Puzzle - Cesar Chavez @ TPT

Cesar Chavez is one of those recognizable names that people seem to know, but have no idea who he actually was. Help all of your student understand what it means to take a stand for what is right, how to take action on an issue, and represent their entire culture in the face of all adversity! 

And do some order of operations practice! It would work great in a middle school or high school class (maybe even some smartie 5th graders). 

I am Cesar Chavez and I approve this so
long as no human or animal rights were
violated in the process of making this
puzzle, I'm okay with it. 

The Underground -- International STEM Project

Mind the Gap. Mind it Well.

Expand your student's international education with an exploration of the London Underground in this 21st Century Math Project. Through building skills of estimation, measurement, and use of scale, students will conclude their learning with an estimation of London's Circle Line. This is a hands-on STEM Project for hands-on learners and provides a nice departure from the grind of the daily classroom.

Name: The Underground

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra & Geometry skills)

Math Concepts: Measurement, Scale, Proportion, Distance and Estimation

Interdisciplinary Connections: Travel, Global Studies

Teaching Duration: 3-5 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $5 for a 14 Page PDF (1 project, 1 assignment and answer key) 

PDF Version: The Underground @ TPT

What's a ruler?

The Product: Students develop a strategy to approximate the length of a train line on England’s famous Tube and use their approximation to find the distance between the tube stops of tourist destinations.

Whenever our math department gets disaggregated data back on standardized tests there always one consistency that we can count on – students are low in measurement. Usually they are really, really bad. It’s as if they have no concept of an inch or never touched a protractor. When the word scale is thrown in the mix – it’s every math teacher for themselves. Anarchy.

My idea behind this project was to make a creative task that would be both mathematically rigorous, but interesting. In this project, students will have to measure, use a scale, calculate proportions to estimate distances… all in a seemingly sensible way. This packs in about as many problem spots into one project as humanly possible. Buckle your chin strap and dive right in.

Haha. Gotcha. Proportion and
measurement are elementary skills!

I learned something interesting in developing this project. The Great Wall of China is in fact spread apart in many different pieces. Miles apart. I always thought it was one long wall. Uh… hey what am I talking about? Too much cough syrup? When I originally conceived this idea I planned to approximate the length of the Great Wall. When I discovered this would be nearly impossible I went for something a little more achievable. With all the math packed in, I couldn’t bear to complicate the project by estimating multiple pieces of the Great Wall.

Truth be told, the necessary level of these separate math skills (measurement, scale, proportion, distance and estimation) vary great. In the Common Core, some of these skills are listed in 5^th grade, others in 8^th grade. However as a high school teacher, these are areas of significant skills deficiency. Students can cross multiply and divide, but they have difficulty recognizing a proportion problem and have trouble setting it up. Certainly, the higher order thinking skills necessary in this project raise the level of difficulty.

Calculus? I could get used to that...

Depending on your state tests, this could be a useful prep assignment. If you are working with remedial students, it’s a more concrete assignment to help work on past skills, while pushing forward their thinking skills. Usually when I teach high school geometry, I like to slip this in after I want to review Perimeter. Perimeter is an elementary skills, but non-linear perimeter? We’re talking about Pre-Calculus and Calculus.

EXTENSION: This can get a little tricky, but an idea that I have to extend this is that you can have students find a picture from the internet of a non-geometric shape. After determining a scale, they could do the same activity. It's tricky, but maybe you could pull it off. 

However, or whenever you decide to try this 21st Century Math Project, have a jolly good time and Mind the Gaps. 

Solar Oven -- International STEM Project

Lunch the 21st Century Math Project way

If you are trying to integrate an international flair into your science and math curriculum, this 21st Century Math Project is a great place to start. Students will design, build, test, and present a solar oven design with the objective of heating a hot dog the hottest. This is a hands-on STEM project for hands-on students. This works great when integrated scatterplots, best-fit functions, with energy. There are plenty of great opportunities to extend this learning into the humanities as well! Temperature probes with TI's work great! Any will do.

Name: Solar Oven

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Advanced Algebra, Algebra II or Precalculus skills)

Math Concepts: Scatterplot, Creating, Using and Analyzing Regression Functions, Data Collection

Interdisciplinary Connections: Science, Heat & Energy, Global Studies

Teaching Duration: 4-5 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $5 for a 9 Page PDF (1 project and handouts) 

PDF Version: Solar Oven @ TPT

The Product: Students will use their solar ovens to heat a hot dog and will measure its temperature over time. And eat! 

Whoopdidoo! Like this applies to
your content area! Good grief!

At our school we had a local professor speak to an entire school body. Essentially, his work was developing large scale, efficiency solar cookers that he could then take to some of the poorest communities in Africa. To me that sure sounded like a 21st Century Math Project!

Of course I did not invent the idea of a Solar Oven project, but in most iterations I could find, most of them were science specific. As with a few of my other projects, science is the ideal fit for both mathematical rigor and real world relevancy. The challenge is to build up the mathematics side of these traditionally science activities, identify the core math concepts in play and concentrate on teaching these skills. In terms of Solar Ovens, regression functions, (exponential functions specifically) are at the core when heating or cooling. If you are teaching lines of best fit (or your students have this skill), there’s no reason this can’t be extended to work in your classroom.

An actual authentic application...?
Did I take the wrong bus this morning?

The best, simple, Solar Oven designs I have seen is with a modified pizza box. Fortunately high school kids eat pizza so these contraptions are usually available. There are plenty of possible designs that are one Google away from helping your students on their journey. I would suggest that the design component of your project should take place in a computer lab for the resources.

This is another project that can easily draw in the community. If there are local engineers that want to get out of their cubicle, walk in the sunlight and stuff, it’s a great way to get your students in contact with professionals outside of the school. I’ve been very fortunate with my engineer contacts. They always come with and provide invaluable classroom support. They also like it a lot! Give it a whirl and make the contact and I wouldn’t be surprised if they become an annual fixture!

How might we use this knowledge to
help the global community?

EXTENSION: There are endless possibilities. Creating PSAs. Entering Science Fairs. Building a large scale oven with the help of engineers to send it to a developing country. Comparing and contrasting the results of morning classes and afternoon class results. It’s a matter of how far you want to step.

If you give a man a hot dog cooked with the sun, they’ll eat it, but if you teach a man to cook a hot dog with the sun, it’s a 21st Century Math Projects. In the event of the forthcoming Zombie Apocalypse, you can’t take for granted things like grills, ovens and microwaves. This might be the only means. 

Prezi -- Cool Free Web-based Software

Tired of PowerPoint after PowerPoint after PowerPoint after PowerPoint after PowerPoint? While, making a good PowerPoint is a great skill for a high school student to have. Students will quickly hit a wall with the software and not learn any new tricks. I think it’s important when I do a project that I’m teaching a new skill with a new software. This way they are learning multiple things at one time! Enter Prezi!

Kill posterboards with me

You have likely seen a Prezi before and it’s possible that you have used it in your class. When I introduce it to students, their eyes light up in a way doing a PowerPoint for the 431st time will never. Prezi is relatively user friendly if you understand their control “wheel”. They do have high quality how-to videos on their site that you can show to the class. One thing I have learned about this software is they are always upgrading it. Every time I log on there seems to be some new feature (Like Spellcheck!).

What else is super cool about Prezi? Technology group work does not mean three kids sit at one computer. One types, one rocks with their iPod and the other naps. Multiple students CAN ALL be working on the Prezi from DIFFERENT computers. Funny little characters “walk” on your partners screen so you know where they are working and what they are doing.

The way my brain works

The other awesome thing? It’s web-based so it saves to the web. No worries about flash drives or school networks or emailing to themselves. They can log onto any computer and get it. It is 99% impossible to lose it (forgetting their password is a completely different story).

Who can use this? Pretty much anyone who wants to use a PowerPoint can just as easily use a Prezi. How does it fit into a math class? At times, I like students to conclude a math project with some sort of analysis presentation whether it be a PSA or a jury trial. This can just as easily be used for those conclusions. How I use class time with this is the careful issue. It is certainly something I’m more likely to ask students to do at home.

If there’s someone who uses their union paid counseling because they are tired of PowerPoints – this could be a welcomed change for them.

Person Puzzles -- John Herrington

The latest release to 21st Century Math Project -- A Person Puzzle! I came across a handout similar to this earlier in the year and found that my students really enjoyed it so I decided to go insane with it. It's necessary to practice skills, but why not throw some interdisciplinary connection in there for fun? 

They're Puzzles...about People... they're Person Puzzles!

Name: Person Puzzle -- John Herrington -- Solving Equations with Variables on Both Sides

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Algebra skills)

Teaching Duration: 10-30 minutes

Cost: $0.75 for a 2 Page PDF (1 assignments and answer key) 

Person Puzzle - John Herrington @ TPT

Bring to life the traditional practice class or homework assignment with some global competency and diversity! While your students practice solving equations with variables on both sides, they can learn about the interesting life of John Herrington, the first Native American to fly in space. 

Person Puzzles are designed to highlight individuals with diverse backgrounds who have made significant contributions to our world. In my experience, our students are underexposed and unaware of many significant (historical or current) figures and this is a an easy way a math teacher can throw some interdisciplinary content without sacrificing their math!

My name is John Herrington and I approve this
Person Puzzle! Not really. I haven't contacted Mr.
Herrington and hope that he's comfortable being
the subject of a Puzzle. Fingers crossed.

Students enjoy the person puzzles because they innately like figuring out these type of facts and enjoy learning about someone interesting and different. I typically use Person Puzzles as timed warm-ups which allows me to share a little about the person's background before my daily lesson. I can also drop some college readiness info like majors, degrees and careers!

Stay Tuned. More Person Puzzles are coming!
You can also get the Interactive & Customizable Version of Person Puzzles entire collection at my NextLesson.org store and optionally customize it for your needs.

Theme Park Tycoon -- Integrated Math Project

Weeeeeeeee!

Any teacher knows ANY period can be a roller coaster ride. In this 21st Century Math Project, Variables & Expressions go to the Amusement Park in this engaging four assignment unit designed for Algebra or Pre-Algebra. Bring variables to life using a theme park motif. From park operations to admissions, variables and expressions are the backbone of the analysis of the Amusement Park’s data.

All that and this happen to be one of my hottest selling projects!

Name: Theme Park Tycoon

Suggested Grade Level: 7-12 (Basic Algebra skills)

Math Concepts: Translating Verbal and Algebraic Expressions, Order of Operations, Mathematical Modeling

Interdisciplinary Connections: Business, Entertainment

Teaching Duration: 2-3 Days (can be modified)

Cost: $5 for a 12 Page PDF (3 assignments, 1 project with answer key) 

PDF Version: Theme Park Tycoon @ TPT

The Product: After a careful analysis of the park’s data, students make a proposal regarding the need for another roller coaster at the park.

Money. Speed. Cotton Candy. I'm in.

 
Josie is the new manager of a theme park -- Fun Time Awesome Place. Unfortunately, Fun Time Awesome Place is considered the thirteenth best amusement park in the Midwest and she has to turn it around! One of her duties is to collect and analyze data to determine how the park is doing financially and figure out which rides are the most efficient. It’s the student’s job to help determine some mathematical expressions that will help make her job much smoother.

Although most adults are deathly afraid of the Quadruple Brain-Crippler Vortex, Middle School kids will hop right on and claim it’s the most amazing thing ever. Capture that invincible, youthful energy and package it into your Pre-Algebra or Algebra 1 class.

Understanding and writing verbal expression is still one of the most difficult skills in math. Really, whenever students are asked to learn to interchange between multiple representations, it’s a challenge. I created three assignments that increase in difficulty and practice different aspects of the skills. Depending on the level of your students, these assignments may be better off done in groups and follow it up with some teacher leadership.

Roller coasters? I need to see the
Common Core.

After having done this a few times, I have worked out a number of the kinks that my students faced in the assignment. For the most part there was great benefit to doing it in class and going over the answers in the end.

While there are a number of Common Core Standards in regards to mathematical modeling and writing algebraic expressions, I have selected a few from 7^th Grade and High School Standards.

7^th Grade Algebra

Use properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions.

·         Apply properties of operations as strategies to add, subtract, factor, and expand linear expressions with rational coefficients.

·         Solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations.

·         Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational numbers in any form (whole numbers, fractions, and decimals), using tools strategically. Apply properties of operations to calculate with numbers in any form; convert between forms as appropriate; and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies. 

·         Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.

How can you cover all those standards
in a stupid roller coaster assignment!!!

High School Algebra:

·         Interpret expressions that represent a quantity in terms of its context.

·         Interpret parts of an expression, such as terms, factors, and coefficients.

·         Interpret complicated expressions by viewing one or more of their parts as a single entity. 

·         Choose and produce an equivalent form of an expression to reveal and explain properties of the quantity represented by the expression.

This won’t be a three minute thrill ride, but this 21st Century Math Project is at least three days of glorious business related relevancy.