Math Fun

Did you know that you use math every day When you cont money, or measure your height and weight, or tell time, you are using math.

#1 My Numbers
Numbers are used for telling many things. Do the activities below to find all your ''important'' numbers.

Measure Up
How tall are you? Usually we get measured in unit

s of feet and inches. But there are other unit

s that we can use to measure. Let's find out how these unit

s compare!

I am ______ feet and _____ inches tall.

I am ______ centimeters tall.

I am ______ sticks of gum tall.

#2 Telling Time
Today, we have clocks with minute and hour hands and digital clocks (clocks that use numbers), too. People have been discovering ways to tell time for thousands of years. Once invention was an hourglass. You an learn how to make your own hourglass.
You will need:

• Two 1-liter clear plastic bottles with caps
• Sand or table salt
• Package tape
• A nail
• A clock

To make your hourglass:
1. Fill one of the bottles with sand.
2. Use the nail to make a small hole in each bottle cap. Ask an adult to help you.
3. Screw the caps on the bottle with sand and the empty bottle.
4. Place the empty bottle on top of the bottle with sand. The empty bottle should be upside down so the caps of both bottles are touching. Tape both bottles tightly together so they are joined at the caps.
5. Turn the bottles over so the bottle with the sand is on top. Look at your clock. How long does it take for all the sand to move from the top bottle to the bottom bottle? How can you change the amount of time that your hourglass tells? Think of some games you can play using your hourglass as a timer.

#3. Can You Guess?
Find out how well your friends and family can guess amounts. Find a large jar with a lid. Fill it with seeds, beans, or marbles. Count each one as you fill the jar. Have at least five people guess the number of objects that are in the jar. Record their guesses and ask how they made them. Let them pick up the jar if they wish. Did anyone make a close guess?

Now it's your turn to guess amounts. Use the game below or have a friend fill a jar and have you guess her jar's amount.

#4. Alphabet Code
Make up your own secret code. Write down the letters of the alphabet. Next to each letter put a different number from 1 to 26. You don't have to write the numbers in order. Use your code to end a secret message to a friend who knows the code.

#5. Budget for Your Troop
When you or your troop plan an activity, you will usually need some money. Find out who much is in your troop fund. Then plan for two activities you would like to do. For example, the seven girls in Rosa's troop wanted to visit the zoo. They figured out what all the costs would be. Then they multiplied each cost (for example: entrance fee and lunch) by how many girls were going. To come up with the grand total for the troop, they added the amount of money needed for each activity in the column on the far right. See the sample planning chart below:

#6. Money Words
You may have heard "Time is money." Well, in this case, your name is money. Use the following code to determine how many dollars your first name is worth. Ask a leader to help you total your numbers.

Other Helpful Links
Girls' Attitudes, Self-Expectations, and Performance in Math
An annotated bibliography of articles and studies designed to give teachers and parents insight
into the ways in which they can improve girls' attitudes and performance in math.
http://mathforum.org/~sarah/Discussion.Sessions/biblio.attitudes.html
Helping Your Child Learn Math - From the US Department of Education
How expensive is Your Name?
Alphabet Code
Number Bracelets Game - Make a bracelet while having some Math Fun!!
http://www.thunk.com/ You can go to "Thunk.com" and write a message - it will then code it for you automatically, you can then send a copy of the coded message to your friend - they in turn, go back to Thunk.com and put the message into the message box and "unscramble" the coded message! Send a secret message on-line! (Make sure you have your parent or guardian's permission to use the internet).

Brownie Try-Its Page