Ideas for Math Projects

http://www.blackgold.ab.ca/ict/Divison2/fastfood/index.htm

Fast Food: Making the Right Choices

Susan MackeyBlack Gold Regional Schools

Updated May 21st, 2009 IntroductionIt is no secret Canadians love fast foods. It’s cheap, convenient and often indulgently delicious!We also know there is a price to pay for eating too much fast food. Foods served in fast food

restaurants usually have fat as their main source of calories.  Even milkshakes are often made with highly saturated coconut oil. In addition, these foods are usually low in iron, fiber, and vitamins, and extremely high in sodium.

Can you 'eat healthy' by frequenting fast food restaurants? In this WebQuest you will compare the fat, sodium, and calorie content of a variety of fast foods and use the information to make wise choices.

 TaskYou are starting your first week at your new job, "Nutrition First Magazine! " You have been assigned the task of researching and writing an article to inform young people about

the health implications of eating too many fast foods. You will need to find information and statistics to back up your findings. Write an article and include graphs to convince  people they should make healthy choices.

 ProcessIn this activity you will learn about the importance of making good decisions when eating at fast food restaurants. You will learn about the calories, fat and sodium content in

many fast foods.  You will collect data from a number of restaurants.  You will then create graphs of the data collected. Finally you will analyze the graphs and write a short article summarizing your findings and give recommendations about making healthy food choices.

Step #1  Background information: Use the information below to fill in the chart.

My personal requirements:My Calorie requirements

Sodium intake levelno more than...

   1. What are the calorie requirements for a typical girl or boy your age?Find the calorie requirements for someone your age. Children's BMI-percentile-for-age Calculator 2. Determine your fat intake:

1. Take total calories and multiply by 30 percent.____ calories per day x .30 = ____ calories from fat per day. 

2. Take calories from fat per day and divide by 9 (there are 9 calories per gram of fat):____ calories from fat per day divided by 9 =____ fat grams per day.

Remember, saturated fats should account for only 10 percent of the total fat grams consumed.2. What about Sodium? What is the highest intake level likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects? Video

Step #2  Order Up!Pick up to three of your favorite fast food restaurants. Order up your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner!(Example: breakfast at McDonalds, lunch at DQ, dinner at Pizza Hut)

Use these websites to help you gather your data: You will need to find the calorie intake, fat grams and milligrams of sodium in the foods you choose)

Fast Food FactsFast Food ExplorerNutrition Data Nutrition Facts for 338 Restaurants

CHECKPOINT: Hand in your DATA worksheet. (It will be returned to you for step #3)

Step #3  Open an Excel Worksheet and enter your dataExample

  Step #3 Graph the results. You will want to show a comparison of the total amounts versus the recommended amounts. Create a graph for each of the following: Column graphs (Calories) (fat) (Sodium) Save the graphs in your student folder.

if you prefer you may use Create A Graph to create your graphs.

Step #4 Analyze and make recommendationsTake a close look at your data and your graphs. What surprised you the most?Now write an article for "Nutrition First Magazine". The article should be targeted to inform people your age about the dangers of eating too much fast food.  Pay close attention to your introductory paragraph, use it to grab the reader's attention. Insert at least one of your graphs to help clarify your findings. Add images and be creative!  Check the criteria for your magazine articleYou may use Publisher, Word, or PPTResearch a little more to find information to add to your article.

Fast Food Facts: A Guide for TeensFast Food Restaurants & Nutrition Facts ComparedFast food facts from the Super Size Me Web site

  Assessment  (Word File)  

ConclusionThe object of this web quest is to identify the potential dangers related to poor nutrition and to make personal lifestyle changes based on research and credible information. You now have the knowledge to make the right choices when ordering fast food! 

Additional Resources and Suggestions:Use Wordle to create a posterAdditional activities could include creating a commercial/video/poster to demonstrate what you have learned.My Food Guide Servings Tracker (girl or boy ages 9-13)

 

http://www.blackgold.ab.ca/ict/Divison2/Party2/index.htm

David Merriman/S. Mackey Black Gold Schools March 2006Introduction You are a professional party planner and you've been asked to submit a party plan for a customer's child. The customer has also asked a few other party planning agencies to submit their plan. They will choose the one that fits their budget and that they think their child will most enjoy. Be creative but stay within a $500.00 budget!TaskCreate a presentation for your proposal using the PowerPoint program. Include the following

information:the type of party (theme) the type of food that will be serveddecorations special guests or equipment/gamesBudget breakdowninclude at least one graph showing a breakdown of costs

View a sample projectProcess and Resources1. Use the websites below to help you identify which items you would need for the party. Pick a theme for your party and enter the information in the Excel chart below.Birthday Express (over 30 themes to choose from!)Shindigz (World's largest party store)Amazing Mom's (over 100 theme and party ideas)Open this worksheet Excel Worksheet and save it to your folder.Find the subtotal as you enter the items. Follow the instructions below:

Click on Cell E2 (If you click in a cell and type = followed by the cell names and the mathematical operations you want to perform and press the enter key, it will do the math.  For example, typing = C2 *D2 in cell E2 will multiply the contents of what is in cell C2 with the contents of cell D2and put the answer in cell E2.)

Enter this formula; (=C2*D2) Click enterThe remaining cells need the same formula. There is a short cut that is called Fill Down that can help you.

1. select the cell that has the original formula 2. hold the shift key down and click on the last cell (in the

series that needs the formula) 3. under the edit menu go down to fill and over to down

 3. Add up the total. Check to see how close you are to your client's budget. ($1000.00)

Select Cells the first blank cell at the bottom of column E.

Click on the Sum tool and press enter. (you should now see the total of your column!)

4. Sort your budget to find the top 8 most costly items. (  Click on Subtotal (E1); On the menu bar click on Data...sort Descending) The top 8 should now be easy to identify!4. Graph the information using the top five most costly items.

1. Select the top five items from Column A2. Hold down the Ctrl key and select the top 8 items from Column E

Click on the Chart icon Select Column and select this graph (the one highlighted in black)     Click Next

Step 2 appears...click nextStep 3 Add the title, X axis, and Z axis ( Party Budget Plan, Items, Cost)Step 4 Click on New Sheet, Click Finish

Now pick another appropriate graph type and create a second graph.Print out your spreadsheet and graphs and hand them in to your teacher. (see rubric below)

5. Create a short PPT presentation  (see rubric below)PowerPoint Requirements:

Title Slide (Theme and appropriate graphics)Slide(s) (types of foods served)Slide(s) (activities, games, decorations)Slide(s) (special guests and equipment)Slide(s) (budget)Slide(s) (Graph)

EvaluationExcelPowerPoint Rubric

       

Favorite PizzaS. Mackey Black Gold Regional Schools 2005 updated January 2011

IntroductionPanago Pizza wants to revamp their menu! You are a consultant for a company whose job is to collect data by polling a sample population. Your job, as a consultant, is to provide statistical information to enable your client, Panago Pizza, to build a new menu that

will provide an assortment of pizzas that will be the most likely to be sold.   TaskUsing the data you have collected you will make recommendations to your client and construct graphs to illustrate specific statistical conclusions. Process

1. Go to the Panago Website, Boston Pizza, Pizza 73 (Get Menu) to find out which pizzas you will add to your survey.  Select 8 pizza types for your survey.  Fill in this chart with jot notes on each pizza types so that you can answer any questions people ask.

2. Prepare a Tally sheet for your survey. (Pizza types/ number of people)3. Survey your classmates to discover their preferences.4. Use Graph Club or go to the Create A Graph website or use Microsoft Excel to

enter your data. Create a bar graph to represent your findings. 

       5.  Based on your data make recommendations on pizza types the restaurant should feature in their new menu. Write a report to your client that summarizes and interprets your findings.  Include your graph in your report.

    Evaluation 

 Grade Five Pizza Survey   

Self   Evaluatio

n 

 Teacher   Evaluatio

n Research (chart and jot notes)   20    

Data (Tally Chart) 10    Accuracy of graph with appropriate titles andheadings,

40    

Appropriate and well thought out    conclusion/well written report 20    

Time Management  10    Total 100