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

Act 1

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.

Act 2

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

The pdf file below can be downloaded or the individual image files that follow the pdf file can be used.

Act 3

• 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.