Image by: A. Balaraman
I recently came across “Number Crunching Coupon Calculating Champ” on a Facebook page. The screenshot image is found below. I plan on incorporating this page into my math instruction next week. According to the website, if I completed the problem correctly I would receive a certain percentage off of my next purchase. So … completing a math problem on the Internet = a percentage discount? I don’t recall ever reading a promotion like this before. Regardless of the motivation behind the company sponsoring the ad, I thought this type of math application could benefit my classroom.
I didn’t fill out the form, but I thought that this type of problem could possibly supplement my instruction. There are many ways to teach discounts, but real life examples bring awareness that math is everywhere.
There are many different ways to solve this type of problem. I may have the students work in collaborative groups to find the answer. All of the different mathematical operations will be useful to practice. Overall, I feel as though this type of problem will give students an opportunity to utilize their mathematical knowledge in a practical way.
My students enjoyed working out the problem above, although it is quite intense for an elementary student. The picture below might assist in starting a discussion about percent increases and the processes involved in finding the answer.
Educational Aspirations 