Elementary Lessons & Materials || Contents
An Explorer lesson plan. Download a Claris Works or Acrobat file from the Explorer site. Also information on grades, availability, description, curriculum, process skills, author, and publisher.
Author: Laura Jewell
Grade Level: 5-8
Description: This activity allows students to have fun while at the same time practicing their skill at fraction/decimal conversion and knowledge of percentages. Students take turns tossing a ball into a wastebasket, while all other students keep track of how many shots are made.
Resources/Materials:
- Tennis or nerf ball
- Wastebasket, Index cards numbered 1-20
- Paper and pencils for other students
Activities/Procedures:
- Draw or tape a line to the floor at a distance from the wastebasket.
- Choose a student to draw a card. This is the number of shots he/she will take.
- The student shoots the ball at the wastebasket while the other students are keeping track of the number of shots made. They write this as a fraction, i.e. the number of shots made over total shots taken.
- Students then convert this fraction to a decimal and the decimal to a percentage.
- Another student draws a card and shoots. Continue in this way until all cards are used.
- Compare all the scores to decide who had the best percentage. Did some students have advantages over others? What is an easy way to improve ones' percentage?
[Privacy Policy] [Terms of Use]
Home || The Math Library || Quick Reference || Search || Help
The Math Forum is a research and educational enterprise of the Drexel University School of Education.