Kerrin Koederitz

T 267 lesson plan

10/16/96

Title: M&M lab

Topic Areas: percent fractions

Grade Level: 5th – 7th

Objectives

1. Students will practice computing percentages.

2. Students will compare percentages.

3. Students will practice computing fractions.

Materials

Students will work in pairs for the M&M lab and each pair
of students will need:

– M&M lab materials, worksheets

– a bag of M&M’s

– a calculator

– markers or crayons – brown, yellow, orange, red, green, blue

Lesson

Time: This activity is designed to take approximately one class
period, 45 minutes. It can be lengthened or shortened depending
on the amount of class discussion

Anticipatory Set

1. Divide students into cooperative learning groups, such as each
table, group of desks, etc.

2. Have students pair up, so that
each student has a lab partner.

3. Each pair of students will
need to make sure that they have the following materials:

– lab worksheets a bag of M&M’s a calculator markers
or crayons

4. Prepare students for activity by discussing fractions and percents.
Pose questions to the
students such as:

-What is a fraction?

Possible explanations include part to a whole, etc.

-How do we find a fraction?

-What is a percent?

-How do we calculate percents?

-How are fractions and percents related, i.e. how can we use fractions
to calculate percents?

5. Give directions. Explain the lab and the different activities
involved in the lab.

6. Demonstrate the tasks required in the lab, such as computing
percents.

7. Ask the students if they have questions over the lab before
they begin.

Concept Development / Activity

1. Sort M&M’s according to color.

2. Calculate the number of each color of M&M’s and record
the data on the first lab sheet, according to the corresponding
space for each color.

3. Graph the number of each color of M&M’s on the graph by
using crayons or markers to color in the amount of M&M’s

4. After students have graphed the number of each color of M&M’s
calculate the total number of M&M’s.

5. Discuss with students the information that the Mars Company
provides, and have students solve problems using this information.
Record this data on the appropriate lab sheet.

6. Have students compute fractions for each color of M&M’s
in their bag. Record this data
on the lab sheet.

7.Have students compute the percent of each color of M&M s
in their bag. Record this data on
the lab sheet.

8. Have the students share their group’s information.

9. Record this information on the chalk board so that all students
can see it, and have students record this information on the appropriate
lab sheet.

10. Have students use each individual group’s data to compute
class results. Record these results on the appropriate lab sheet.

Discussion Questions

These are questions that can be used throughout the activity.

1. What kind of answers did you compute?

2. How do you think your results will compare to other students’
results?

3. Given your results for one color of M&M’s can you make
predictions or estimates related to the fractions / percents for other colors of M&M’s

4. What laud of results d – id you expect to get?

5. Why do you think you got these results?

Extensions

1. Use the data students computed and compare the results of individual
colors by using greater than, less than or equal to problems.
(problem examples on lab sheets)

2. Use data collected for each individual color and solve mathematical
problems such as the
number of blue M&M’s plus the number of brown M&M’s. (problem
examples on lab sheets)

3. Have students create their own problems using the data collected
from their M&M lab and
share those problems with the class.

Closure

1. Have students discuss class data and results.

2. Have students discuss their findings from the lab, and compare
that data to data provided by the Mars Company. How true are the
percentages that Mars provides?

3. Review the math concepts practiced in the lab – -
fractions, percents.

4. Ask students to discuss the relationship between fractions
and percents

5. Have a student / group discussion about the overall lab, i.e.
which tasks were difficult, which concepts were unclear, what
areas need to be reviewed so that students have a better understanding.

Evaluation

A formal evaluation can be used by checking each student’s lab
sheets. A more informal evaluation that can be used for this activity
is one of the extensions suggested. Have students use data and
concepts learned from the lab to create their own M&M problem.
Have the students share these problems with the class and explain
their problem. Through the explanation students should demonstrate
their understanding of the lesson.

Bibliography

source: Debbie Flores

Learning Specialist

Rock Bridge Senior High School

Columbia, MO

source: Mars Company

Hackettstown, NJ 07840 – 1503