Computer Capers
Fun K-8 home/school activities that reinforce Indiana Academic Standards using computers to encourage students to draw, research, calculate and express! Though we have discontinued the monthly Computer Capers publication, sign-up for our email list to receive notification of upcoming grants and workshops.
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Popsicle Payments
Don't you just love a hot summer day topped off with a tasty cold popsicle treat? How much might one of those cost you? Begin your research by going to the grocery store with your Mom or Dad and take some notes as to the different types of popsicles, cost, and how many are in each box. When you get home, put the data into a spreadsheet to help you make the calculations. Put the brand name or type of popsicle, the cost, the # of popsicles in the box, and then finally put in a formula to calculate the cost per popsicle (cost divided by # in box). Don't forget to format the cells in B and D for "currency". Now use the spreadsheet to answer the following questions:
- What popsicle cost the most? Why do you think that is?
- What popsicle cost the least? Why?
- Which is your favorite kind and how much does one of those cost?
Additional Ideas: expand your research to include individually packaged ice cream treats. How do they compare? Why do you think your results turned out that way? Compare your results to the cost of buying an ice cream treat from local snack place. What is the most economical kind of summer treat?
Indiana Academic Standards
- Grade Level 3-5
- Social Studies - Economics
Internet Extensions
- Recipe for Making Red, White and Blue Popsicle Rockets
- http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/article/118/17929
Make these fun popsicles for the Fourth of July celebration! - The Original Popsicle Brand Official Site
- http://www.popsicle.com/
Great fun, games and recipes are on this site! - Popsicle History
- http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/popsicle.htm
Discover how the popsicle was invented then visit your choice of Internet links to other great sites about popsicles!
What's the Scoop?....Delicious Data
Summer is a great time to enjoy a big scoop of your favorite ice cream. What is your favorite?...Your family and friends favorite? Do a survey of at least ten family members or friends and record your results in a spreadsheet. Can you make a bar graph out of the data? Using the graph, answer the following questions:
- What was the most popular flavor?...least popular?
- Did any flavors have the same number of votes?
- Is there a flavor that surprised you by either being on the list or not being on the list?
- Where did your favorite flavor rank?
Challenge: Use a drawing program to make a pictograph of your data. Create the graph so that each of the "bars" in your original work now look like a ice cream cone with the number of scoops on each cone relating to the number of votes it received. Hint: draw your "scoop" of ice cream and copy and paste it on each cone the appropriate number of times.
Other Ideas for Gathering and Graphing Data:
- Do you like soft serve or hard scoops?
- Do you like it on a cone or in a cup?
- What is your favorite topping?
Indiana Academic Standards
- Grade Level 3-5
- Mathematics - Data Analysis
Workshop Offerings
Visit our BTLC Partner Web Site!
The Buddy Teaching and Learning Center site, www.btlc.org, is the place to find and register for quality professional development and technology training opportunities offered by the team of Buddy facilitators who are all experienced Indiana teachers and administrators.
