An American Tour:
A Math Webquest
(based on the 5th Grade Everyday Math  Series: Lesson 3.1 and 3.2)

created by:
Mrs. Maureen Schoenberger, Technology Teacher at Allen School

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction:
Math in the computer lab?  Yup! That's right!  I know that it sounds strange but this section of your Everyday Math book lends itself nicely to introducing you to learning Microsoft Excel.  Have you ever used Excel before?  Ask your parents if they use Excel and they will probably say yes! So, lets move on and learn some math and technology!

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Task:
You will be introduced to the American Tour and learn about the US Census.  You will conduct a classroom census and graph your results using Excel. In addition you will read and interpret a table of population estimates.

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Process:

Day1:(Lesson 3.1): Introduction to the American Tour!

1. First let's do some Mental Math: http://www.quia.com/quiz/851422.html
Funbrain's Math Arcade: Try and play all 25 games!: http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html

2. Now, lets look on pg. 327 of the Student Reference Book. What is a Census? Let's Look through the American Tour section of our book! (This is used to show how math can help students understand the history, geography, and population of the US)

3. Comparing the 1790 Census to the 2000 Census:
     * Which Census asked more questions? How many more?
     * Which Census took longer to collect? How much longer?
     * Which state had the largest population in the 1790 census? Smallest?
     * What was the reported total population in 1790?
     * Were slaves counted in the 1790 census?
     * Which state had the most slaves? Which state(s) had less than 100 slaves
    * How many free white males were reported in Vermont in the 1790 Census?
        Is this more or less than the number of free white females reported?

4. Time to take a classroom census! (The actual census has two forms: a short form that every household fills out, and a long form that only a sample of households fills out.  This classroom census contains questions from both forms. Questions 1 and 2 are on both forms; Questions 3-5 are on the long form only.)

!Finished with the Census? Math Journal p. 61: Mental Math Calculation Strategy

!Homework: Study Link p. 49, (3.1)

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Day2:Data Tables and Excel

1. First, let's do some Math Boxes!:
MATH BOX 1:http://www.quia.com/cz/85018.html
For more decimal and whole number fun, play Jeopardy with a friend!

MATH BOX 2: http://www.quia.com/jg/968591.html

2. Go over the homework: Study Link p. 241

3. Now, lets use excel to create data table from our classroom census!

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Day3:(Lesson 3.1): Graphing our Classroom Results 's

1. First, let's do a math warmup!
Place Value with Funbrain: http://www.funbrain.com/tens/index.html
Multiplication Facts (Lemonade Larry): http://www.prongo.com/lemon/index.html
For more decimal and whole number fun, play Jeopardy with a friend!

2. Review Excel Terms: Cell, Columns, Rows, how to merge cells, enlarge cells, etc.

3. Use Excel to Add a Chart to our Data Table and format the chart (Change the colors, legend, etc.)

 use our data from the census to Back to the Top

Day4: Using Excel on your own!s

1. First, let's do a math warmup!
Funbrain's Math Arcade: Try and play all 25 games!: http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html

2. Review Excel and how to make a chart

3. Now, it's time to practice!  Use this information to set up a data table and chart in excel.

 use our data from the census to Back to the Top

ate a data table and chart in Excel!