Scavenger Hunt

Last Thursday (March 25), our math class embarked on a grand scavenger hunt. There were 12 clues, each a math problem, and each had to solved to find out where to go for the next clue. Every clue involved fractions, division, protractors, and scientific measurement. It wasn't an easy hunt: for each clue, the kids had to solve a fractions problem, and take the fraction that resulted and apply it to the number of degrees in a circle (e.g. 1/6 of a circle is 60º). That gave them the angle at which they had to set off to find the next clue. So, they'd measure the angle with a protractor, and then use the scientific measure of distance on the clue to learn how far they had to go. Here are a few examples of the problems they solved:

6) 8/15 – 13/30 = [answer: 1/10]

Give the number of degrees that make up that fraction of a circle: [answer: 36º]

Distance to travel (measured along the ground): 25m x 10^0 = [answer: 25m]

To the left.

7) Walking along the shore, Melody likes to pick up interesting shells and rocks. Of the things she brings home to show to her grandfather, 5/8 are shells. 1/3 of the rocks have fossils. What fraction of the found objects Melody will lay before her grandfather are rocks without fossils?

[answer: 1/4]

Give the number of degrees that make up that fraction of a circle: [answer: 90º]

Distance to travel (measured along the ground): 1.1m x 10^1 = [answer: 11m]

To the left.

The class was divided into two groups for the hunt; I went with one, and Jesse went with the other. At the end, there were prizes! Each child who reached the end of the scavenger hunt received a Rubix cube, balloons, and some of the pellets that transform into sponge dinosaurs when dropped into water. The kids liked the prizes a lot, and they said they liked the scavenger hunt, too. When I asked if the questions were too easy, too hard, or just right, the class agreed on the following answer: "The questions were just right for a scavenger hunt. But if they hadn't been part of a game, they would have been too hard." Quite a testimonial to the power of fun to motivate learning!