M & M’s are the Best Candy. (This is Math?)

Here is the first installment of  “This is Math?”

This is a feature suitable for students from Kindergarten age and up to 6th or 7th grade.  My plan is to give Moms some Math ideas to encourage thinking with numbers.  Maybe your children are good at math?  Then this is just fun.  Maybe your children do not like math?  Don't tell them this is math.  Just tell them you want to play a game.  This week we will play with CHOCOLATE.  These activities are created to work with the "fun size" M&M's bag.  I chose the Spring package - but it would probably work with any kind of "fun size" bag of yumminess that is M&M's.

I was successful in copying this tic-tac-toe board from the blog to a word processing document.  You can do it too!  Click on the tic-tac-toe board.  This should take you to the opportunity to look at my two pictures in this post.  If you choose the board and right click, you will see the option "Save Image as...".  Choose this, and you will see a window open that requests WHERE on your computer you want to save this image (maybe you will save it on your desktop and then file it later).  Name it (something like M&M!) and save.  Now it's on your desktop, ready to print and play!

Each student should pick THREE squares to make a tic-tac-toe, and then complete each task in each of those chosen squares.  This may involve some cooperation!

If you have younger kids, pick 2 squares for them that seem appropriate.

Various ideas for counting the candies:

1. Use small paper cups.

2. Place the candies on foil or waxed paper to keep them clean.

3. Use a piece of paper.  Line up each color of candy and trace around the line it makes with the same color crayon or pencil. (You can compare sizes of lines to compare number of candies).

Ideas for finding averages:

1. Deal out the candies (or bags) like you would deal cards (“One for Daddy, one for Mommy, one for sister, one for me.  One for Daddy….”) Count the number each person got.

2.  Add up all the numbers of candies from each bag.  Use dimes to represent ten candies and pennies to represent 1 candy.  For instance: 32 candies could be represented by 32 cents.  Represent each bag’s candies with coins. Then deal out the dimes and pennies evenly.

3. Do the math – with a paper and pencil or learn to use a calculator.  Add up all the candies in each bag and divide by the number of bags.

Do you have friends with children who need to enjoy math?  Tell them about this new feature – and watch on Thursdays.

Maybe Moms need to try it too!

CathyH