Making Snow

CCSS: 5.MD.A.1, 6.RP.A.1, 6.RP.A.2, 6.RP.A.3

Georgia’s K-12 Mathematics Standards: 5.MDR.7, 6.NR.2, 6.NR.4

Ask students:

  • What do you notice?  Record student responses.
  • What do you wonder?  Record student curiosities and wonders.

Focus question(s): How much snow powder and water is needed to fill the blue bowl with snow?

Ask students to:

  • Write down an estimate that is too high.
  • Write down an estimate that is too low.
  • Write down a best guess estimate.
  • Mark each estimate on an empty number line.

Ask students what information/tools they need to answer their question.  Give them their information as they ask for it.

  • Share your solution and strategies.  Compare your strategies and results.

Watch the Act 3 Reveal, then discuss using the questions that follow.

  • How reasonable were your estimates?
  • What might you do differently next time?
  • What did you do well during this task?

Follow-up investigation:

  • How much snow powder and water would it take to fill the classroom (all the way or to a certain depth)?

For more information about instant snow, check out Steve Spangler’s Website.

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