Computer Lab Activities
Earth Day: A Math Hunt Activity
Find out how to help preserve the planet by solving these environmentally-themed math questions on ratios, percentages, and basic operations.
- Grades: 3–5, 6–8
In “Earth Day” (grades 5–8) students go on an online fact-finding mission to answer five multiple-choice, math-related questions about the environment, including the topics of recycling, wind power, and natural resources.
Sample question:
How much hazardous waste did we create yesterday?
- Enough to fill the Super Dome about 1,500 times over.
- Enough to fill the Super Dome about 4 times over.
- Enough to fill the Super Dome with a little left over.
In addition to challenging students’ reading comprehension skills, “Earth Day” tests these “math hunting” skills:
- Addition and Subtraction
- Decimals and Percentages
- Fractions: Writing and reducing fractions
- Multiplication and Division
- Ratio and Proportion
Learning Objectives
By participating in Math Hunt, students will:
- Practice problem-solving skills from the grade 5–8 math curriculum
- Explore topics from the grades 5–8 science and social studies curriculum
- Learn basic Internet research skills
- Develop an understanding of the construction of standardized test questions and multiple-choice answers
Related Resources
Students set out on fact-finding missions that test math skills, provide practice researching on the Web, and boost reading comprehension.
- Subjects:Addition and Subtraction, Content Area Reading, Independent Reading, Reading Comprehension, Research Skills, Fractions and Decimals, Multiplication and Division, Ratio, Proportion, Scale, Real-World Math, Word Problems, Biology and Life Science, Earth Science, Real-World Science, Recycling, Earth Day, Communication and the Internet, Computers, Teaching with Technology
