Roller Coaster Math

Last Thursday the students started to solve math problems based on traveling to a roller coaster park.  I was impressed by their ability to solve these problems on their own.  I thought there would be more struggling than there actually was.  It was great to see their comfort in navigating various websites to find the information they needed in order to solve their problems.  At the end of math class I gave them about 5 minutes to take a picture of themselves as if they were on a roller coaster.  I posted a couple of their  photographs below the math problems Joel and Zhane are working on.

Joel=Magenta        Zhane=red   Mr. Waara=Purple

1. You are planning to make a trip to a roller coaster park somewhere in the United States.  Click on the link “Roller Coaster Parks”.  Choose a park on this link.  Next, pick a day that you will be going to this park.  Roller Coaster Parks

1. Figure out how long the park will be open on this day.  
2. Also, figure out how much money it will cost three people (you, your partner, and Mr. Waara) to spend a day at this particular park.  
3. Also, measure each of you to the nearest inch with a measuring tape.  Find a list of the roller coasters at this park and determine what roller coasters you will be able to ride on and others that you can’t participate in.  
4. Figure out how far you will have to drive from Sheboygan to get to this park.  If you drive about 60 mph, how long will it take you to get there? This is an estimate.

Share all of this information on a document you have created.  I  want to see all of your work displayed on this document.

2.  While going to this roller coaster park you will need to eat dinner.  You have $90 to spend on food at Olive Garden.  Each person in your group needs to purchase an appetizer, entree, dessert, and beverage.  

My list of food that I will buy while at Olive Garden with you is: appetizer (Five Italian Cheese Fonduta), entree (Chicken Alfredo), dessert (Chocolate Caramel Lasagna), beverage (Fountain Drink)

Make a table showing each of your group’s purchases.  Determine how much it will cost your group to order all of its food.  Remember to have money left over to tip the waitress or waiter.  Use the following link to help you with this problem: Olive Garden

	Mr. Waara	Zhane	Joel
entre	chicken alfredo $14.80	macaroni and cheese $5.70	chicken fingers and pasta $5.70
appetizer	five Italian cheese fonduta $8.50	fried mozzarella $6.00	fried mozzarella $6.00
beverage	fountain drink $2.60	strawberry smoothie $4.00	fountain drink $2.60
dessert	chocolate caramel lasagna $7.00	sunday $1.80	Sunday $1.80
total cost	$32.90	$17.50	$16.10
Tip		13.30
cost in all		$79.50

3.  Use one of the tables from the following link Roller Coasters to create a bar graph.  Make sure to title your graph and to make your graph using grid paper.  Neatness counts!

TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOUR GROUP HAVING A GREAT TIME AT THE ROLLER COASTER PARK.