http://www.tarleton.

edu/team/
Fruity Math
(with a Few
Veggies!)
By
Dr. Pam Littleton
littleton@tarleton.edu
Dr. Beth Riggs
eriggs@tarleton.edu
Rose Ann Jackson
rjackson@tarleton.edu

C
O
M
P
A
R
I
S
O
N

Asteachers,itisimportantthatwehelpourstudentsdevelopastrong
conceptualunderstandingofweightandmass.Herearesomeideasforusto
thinkaboutasweaddressthesetopics.

Whenareourstudentsexpectedtoknowthedifferencebetweenweightand
mass?
ThedifferencebetweenweightandmassisspecifiedintheTEKSfor4
th
grade.
(See4.11E.)Theactualknowledgeandskillsstatementandstudentexpectation
isstatedasfollows:
(4.11)Measurement.Thestudentappliesmeasurementconcepts.Thestudent
isexpectedtoestimateandmeasuretosolveproblemsinvolvinglength(including
perimeter)andarea.Thestudentusesmeasurementtoolstomeasure
capacity/volumeandweight/mass.
Thestudentisexpectedto:
(E)explainthedifferencebetweenweightandmass.

Whyarethetermssometimesseparatedasweightandmassbutother
othertimesthetermisweight/mass?
Upuntil4
th
grade,themathematicsTEKSdonotmakeadistinctionbetween
weightandmasssinceallofourmeasurementsarebeingtakeninthesame
locationontheEarth!Eventhoughweasteachersknowthatweightandmass
aredistinctattributes,theattributesarebundledtogetherasweight/massinthe
TEKSforKindergartenthrough3
rd
grade.Beginningin4
th
grade,thedistinction
betweentheseattributesbecomesofficialinthemathematicsTEKS.

Weight
and Mass

IfIamteachingKindergarten,1
st
,2
nd
,or3
rd
grade,whyshouldIevenworry
aboutthedistinctionbetweenweightandmass?Mystudentswontbe
expectedtoexplainthedifferenceuntil4
th
grade!
Vocabularyandearlyconceptualdevelopmentrelatedtomeasurementofweight
andmassisHUGE!EventhoughtheTEKSbundletheattributesofweightand
massasweight/massinK3,teachersinthesegradelevelsmustpayclose
attentiontovocabularydevelopment,tools,andsoforthsothatthestudents
wonthavetounlearnanythingwhentheygetto4
th
grade.Forexample,
gramsisaunitusedtomeasuremass,notweight!Teachersshouldsay
somethinglike,LetsdeterminethemassofthisorangeingramsnotLets
weightheorangeingrams.

SowhataresomeareasofvocabularyandearlyconceptualdevelopmentthatI
shouldbeawareofasateacher?
Someofthemostimportantareastopayattentiontoarethefollowing:Units,
tools,andtheactualdistinctionbetweenweightandmass.Theseideasare
summarizedonthefollowingchart.

Weight Mass
Units
MetricSystem:Typicalunitforweightisthe
Newton.

CustomarySystem:Typicalunitsforweightarethe
ounceandthepound.

MetricSystem:Typicalunitsformassarethe
milligram,gram,andkilogram.

CustomarySystem:Afewsuchunitsaretheslug,
thedram,andthegrain.Theseunitsarenotvery
commonthoughbecausetheyarerather
cumbersome.Theunitsexistbutarenotused
veryoften.
Note:Somestudentsareunderthemisconceptionthatmassismetricwhileweightiscustomary;
however,thislineofthinkingisnotcorrect.Massisanattribute,andtherearebothmetricunitsand
customaryunitsthatcanbeusedtomeasuremass.Similarly,weightisanattribute,andthereareboth
metricunitsandcustomaryunitsthatcanbeusedtomeasureweight.Granted,someunitsaremore
commonthanothers,butjustbecausewedontuseaunitfrequentlydoesntmeanthatitdoesntexist!

Tools
SpringScale
PlatformScale
Scale
PanBalance
Balance

Distinction
Ameasureofthegravitationalforceexertedonan
object.Weightdependsonlocation.Forexample,
anobjectwillhavelessweightontheMoonthanit
willhaveonEarthsincetheforceofgravityislesson
theMoon.
Theamountofmatterinanobject.Massremains
constant,regardlessoflocation.
Note:Eventhoughweightandmassaredistinctattributes,theyareproportional.Anobjecthavingtwice
themassofanotherobjectwillweightwiceasmuchtoo(aslongasbothobjectsareinthesamelocation).

Whatisexpectedandappropriatewithregardtoweight/massatthe
Kindergartenlevel?
AttheKindergartenlevel,thestudentsaremakingdirectcomparisonsbetween
twoobjectsforweight/mass.(SeeK.10D.)Asteachers,weshouldaskquestions
thatwillelicitthecomparativelanguageasmentionedinpartDoftheTEKS.
Whichobjectfeelsheavier?Whichobjectfeelslighter?

Whatisexpectedandappropriatewithregardstoweight/massatthe
1
st
gradelevel?
Atthe1
st
gradelevel,thestudentsstillaremakingdirectcomparisonsfor
weight/mass.Thenumberofobjectsisnowtwoormoreinsteadofjusttwo
objectsatatimeasinKindergarten,andthestudentsputtheobjectsinorder
accordingtoweight/mass.(See1.7F.)

ImdetectingatrendinKindergartenand1
st
gradewiththedirect
comparisons!Whatshoulddirectcomparisonofweight/masslook
likeintheKindergartenand1
st
gradeclassrooms?
Studentsshouldplacetheitemsintheirhandsfirst(oneitemineachhand)and
makeapredictionconcerningwhichobjectfeelsheavier,lighter,oriftheitems
feelaboutthesame(aboutequaltoeachotherinweight/mass).Thisexperience
leadsnicelyintousingapanbalance!
Aftermakingaprediction,studentscanuseapanbalancetodirectlycomparethe
weight/massoftheitems.Thepanthatgoesdownholdstheobjectthathas
moremass.Thatobjectfeelsheavierwhenyoudirectlycomparetheminyour
hands.AtthedirectcomparisonlevelforKindergartenand1
st
grade,thestudents
arenotquantifyingtheweight/masswithanykindofunit.

Whatisexpectedandappropriatewithregardstoweight/massatthe
2
nd
gradelevel?
In2
nd
grade,thedirectcomparisonofobjectswithregardtoweight/mass
remains.Thecomparativelanguageremainsaswell.Thedifferenceisthatin2
nd

grade,thestudentsarenowexpectedtoextendtheirworkwithweight/massby
selectingandusinganonstandardunittodeterminetheweight/massofagiven
object.Studentsshouldalsobegintorecognizeandusemodelsthatapproximate
standardunitsforweight/mass.(See2.9D.)

Sowhatmightweight/massactivitieslooklikeinthe2
nd
grade
classroom?
Asanexample,youmighthaveyourstudentsuseapanbalancetodetermine
howmanybeansittakestobalanceanobject.Thestudentsarebasicallyfinding
theamountofbeansthathavetheequivalentweight/massasthegivenobject.
Studentsneedpracticemeasuringtheweight/massofobjectsandreportinghow
manyunitsastheyquantifytheweight/massoftheobject.Inaddition,the
knowledgeandskillsstatementmentionsthatthestudentsshouldrecognizeand
usemodelsthatapproximatestandardunits.Forexample,youmightsaytoyour
studentsthatacentimetercubehasamassofabout1gram.Thenyoucouldask
thestudentshowmanycentimetercubesitwouldtaketobalancetheobjectin
question.Otheritemsthatcouldbeusedtoapproximatestandardunitsfor
weight/massincludethefollowing:
Centimetercubes(about1gram)
Nickel(about5grams)
Largepaperclip(about1gram)
Milklid(about2grams)
Beans(about1grambutnot
consistent)
Bagsofsugar,flour,etc
(availablein1pound,4pounds,5
pounds,etc)
Fishingequipmentlikesinkers
(variousouncescheckthelabel)
Cheese(availablein1pound
blocks)
Smalljarsofcookingspices
(variousouncescheckthelabel)

Whatisexpectedandappropriatewithregardstoweight/massatthe
3
rd
gradelevel?
DirectcomparisonsandcomparativelanguageremainintheTEKSthrough3
rd

grade.Thedifferencenowisthatstudentsareusingstandardunitsfor
weight/mass,withanemphasisstillonconcretemodels.(See3.11D.)

Whatmightactivitiesforweight/masslooklikeinthe3
rd
grade
classroom?
Thestudentsmightuseapanbalanceandgramstackersorpiecesfromabrass
masssettodeterminethemassoftheobject.Itisalsoimportantforthe
studentstocontinuetobuildanddevelopmentalbenchmarksforstandardunits
ofweight/mass.Thebenchmarkswillbemoreeffectiveforthestudentsifthey
includeeverydayobjectswithwhichthestudentsarefamiliar.Thestudentscould
collectitemsfromhomeorfromaroundtheschooltobringtoclassas
benchmarksaredeveloped.Activitiessuchasthesewillhelpstudentstoidentify
concretemodelsthatapproximatestandardunitsofweight/mass.

4
th
gradeiswherethedistinctionbetweenweightandmassis
acknowledgedintheTEKS.ArethereotherthingsIshouldthinkabout
for4
th
grade?
TheTEKSdonotmentiondirectcomparisonforweight/massatthe4
th
grade
level.Theomissionofthedirectcomparisonsimpliesthatmasteryofthisconcept
isexpectedbytheendof3
rd
grade.Inaddition,4
th
gradestudentswillbe
expectedtoestimateandusemeasurementtoolsforweight/massusingstandard
unitsinthemetricandcustomarysystems.Studentsmostlikelywillbefamiliar
withthepanbalance(toolusedtomeasuremass).Studentscanuseaplatform
scaleoraspringscaletomeasureweight.Simpleconversionsbetweendifferent
unitsofweightwithinthecustomarymeasurementsystemarealsoaddressedin
4
th
grade.(See4.11ABE.)

Whatmightweightandmassactivitieslooklikeinthe4
th
grade
classroom?
Studentsshouldhavemanyopportunitiestoreinforcetheirmentalbenchmarks
forstandardunitsforweightandmassthattheyhavebeendevelopingsince3
rd

gradeastheyestimatetheweightorthemassofanobject.Thestudentsmay
wanttousedirectcomparisonshere(eventhoughdirectcomparisonsarenot
specificallymentionedintheTEKS).Holdingareferentforastandardunitinone
handandholdingtheobjecttobemeasuredintheotherhandcanassistthe
studentsinmakingagoodestimateforweightormass.Aftermakingthe
estimate,thestudentswillneedhandsonpracticeusingbalancesandscalesto
confirmtheirpredictions.Rememberthatbalancesmeasuremass,whilescales
measureweight!FortheconversionsintheTEKS,thestudentsneedpractice
reportingweightsusingdifferentunits.Forexample,aftermeasuringtheweight
ofanobjectinpounds,havethestudentsreporttheweightinouncesaswell.

Whatisexpectedandappropriateatthe5
th
and6
th
gradelevelsfor
weight/massconcepts?
In5
th
grade,weight/massismentionedintheknowledgeandskillsstatement,but
notspecificallymentionedinthestudentexpectations.However,student
expectation(A)statesthatstudentsperformsimpleconversionswithinthesame
system,implyingthatstudentscontinuetoreinforcetheirknowledgeofsimple
conversionsforweight/massthatbeganin4
th
grade.(See5.10A.)
In6
th
grade,studentsarecontinuingtoestimatemeasurements,selectanduse
appropriateunitsandtools,andconvertmeasureswithinthesamemeasurement
system.(See6.8ABD.)

Itisntuntil8
th
gradethatweformallyteachsurfacearea;however,aseducatorswecanlaythe
foundationforthatconceptataveryearlyage.Iliketousestickersasanonstandardwayto
begintheconceptofteachingsurfacearea;certainlylaterontheywilllearnthatsurfaceareais
measuredinsquareunitsratherthanstickers.Ihavethestudentsestimatehowmanystickers
itwilltaketocovertheoutsideofwhateverfruitorvegetablethatweareusing.Iamreallyjust
tryingtogetthestudentstounderstandthattheoutsideofa3dimensionalfigureisits
surfacearea.Theywillformallybeginlearningaboutvolumein4
th
grade.However,manyof
ourstudentsgetsoconfusedwithalltheformulasandwhentouseeachone,butwhenthey
havedonemanyoftheseactivitiesataearlyage,thereismuchlessconfusiononthedifference
betweensurfaceareaandvolume.
SuggestionsforClassroomUse:
First,wewillpredicthowmanystickerswillcovertheoutsideofouritem.Iamnotrealpicky
abouthowclosetheirstickersareIjusttellthemtotryandcoveralltheskinasbestasthey
cananditisokaytooverlapstickers.
Secondly,wecovertheiteminstickers.Ihavefounditeasieriftheynumberthemastheygo
ratherthancountthemafterplacingthemontheobject.
Third,wecheckourpredictions/estimations.Howclosewasourestimate?
Fourth,wecomparewithothergroupsintheroomanddiscusswhyournumbersmightbe
differentorwhytheyarealmostthesame.Ofcoursetheycouldbedifferentbecauseoneitem
islargerorsmallerthantheotheroronegroupputtheirstickersclosertogetherthananother
group.
Besureandhavethestudentsrecordallofthisinformationonarecordingsheet.

Surface
Area

Itisntuntil6
th
gradethatweformallyteachcircumference;however,aseducatorswecanlaythe
foundationforthatconceptataveryearlyagejustaswehavedonewithpreviousconceptsinthis
unit.StudentsjustlovethewordCircumference;itislikeamilliondollarwordtothem.Asmath
teachersweneedtobediligentinusingthecorrectmathvocabularywithourstudents.Somepeople
believeweshouldwaituntiltheconceptisformallyintroducedtogivethemthecorrectvocabulary.
I,however,disagreewiththisprinciplebecauseittakestoolongtounteachthewrongvocabulary.
Whynotteachitcorrectlythefirsttime?Rememberinthisactivitywearejusttryingtogetthe
studentstounderstandthatcircumferenceisthedistancearoundsomething.
SuggestionsforClassroomUse:
First,wewillpredict/estimatethecircumferenceofouritem.Asateacheryoumustdecidewhether
tousetheEnglishorMetricscaleofmeasurement.Itypicallyuseboth.Idontteachconversion,butI
wantthemtohaveagoodbaselinewithbothmeasurementsystems.
Secondly,weeitheruseatapemeasureorapieceofstring/ribbontomeasurethecircumferenceof
theitem.Ifwehaveusedastring/ribbon,wewillneedtothenmeasurethatlengthwitharuler.Itis
hardtowrapthestring/ribbonaroundtheitemandholdtheitem.Ihavefoundthatthisactivity
worksbestinpairs.
Third,wewillcheckourpredictions/estimations.Howclosewereourestimates?Astheyear
progresses,yourstudentsestimationswillmostlikelygetcloserandclosertotheiractual
measurements.
Fourth,wecomparewithothergroupsintheroomanddiscusswhyournumbersmightbedifferent
orwhytheyarealmostthesame.Ofcoursetheycouldbedifferentiftheitemsareadifferentsizeor
ifweareusingadifferentmeasurementscale.
Again,besureandhavethestudentsrecordallofthisinformationonarecordingsheet.

Circumference

Forolderstudents,thisisagreattimetointroducepi(n).Aftertheyhavedeterminedtheir
circumference,havethestudentsfindthediameteroftheirobject.(Forsomeobjects,thisiseasier
thanothers.Forinstance,youcancutanorangeorappleacrossandmeasurethediametermore
easily.)Afterstudentshavefoundboththecircumferenceanddiameter,havethemdividethe
circumferencebythediameter.Dependingonhowwelltheyhavemeasured,theresultofthe
divisionshouldbeclosetopi(n)3.14..Thatiswhenyoucanexperimentwithmanyotherobjects
andseeifeachtimeyoudividethecircumferencebythediameteryouwillgetn.Studentsare
usuallyveryimpressedwiththisandwanttotrynumerousobjectstotestthehypothesis.
Anotherreallyfunthingtoshowstudentsistohavethemcutapieceofribbonorpapertapethatis
thesamelengthasthecircumferenceoftheobject.Thenhavethemmeasuretheribbonacrossthe
diameteritshouldgoacrossthediameter3timeswithalittleleftover(againrepresentingthe
3.14).Nowtakethatlittlebitthatisleftover(.14)anduseitasaguidetocreasetheribboninto
parts.

Ifyoumeasuredeverythingcorrectlyyouwillendup22parts.Thefirst21partsrepresentthethree
diameters[
21
7
andtheleftoverpart(.14)willbe[
1
7
;thereforethecircumferencestripnowshows
22
7
= S.14 = n.Thisisawonderfulwaytoshowthatncanbeapproximatedby
22
7
.
Circumference II

Animportantconceptinunderstandingtherelationshipbetweenvolumeand
capacityisthatanobjectsubmergedinwaterwilldisplaceavolumeofwater
equaltothevolumeoftheobjectthatwassubmerged.

Somestudentsareunderthemisconceptionthatanobjectdoesnthavevolume
unlessavolumeformulaexistsforthemtouse!Byusingcommonfruitsor
vegetables(manyofwhichareirregularlyshapedobjectsforwhichnovolume
formulaexists),studentscanstrengthentheirunderstandingofvolumebyusing
therelationshipbetweenthevolumeofacentimetercube(1cubiccentimeter)
andtheamountofwaterdisplacedwhenthecubeissubmergedinwater(1
milliliter).Anotheroutcomefromthisactivityisthatstudentswilldevelopand
refinetheirfamiliaritywiththemilliliteroneofthecommonlyencountered
standardunitsforcapacityinthemetricsystem.

ThisactivityaddressestheTEKSbyhelpingtobuildaconceptualunderstandingof
volume.Astrongconceptualunderstandingofvolumeservesaspreparationfor
thedevelopmentanduseofvolumeformulas(ofrectangularprisms)inthe
5thgradeTEKS,andthedevelopmentanduseofvolumeformulasforother3D
figuresinmiddleschool.

SuggestionsforClassroomUse:
Giveeachgroupofstudentsagraduatedcylinderthatiscalibratedin
milliliters.Asmallcylinder(around25millilitersor50milliliters)works
well.
Havethempoursomewaterintothecylinder,fillingitfromonethirdto
twothirdsfull.

Volume and
Capacity
Explainhowtoreadthemarkingsonthegraduatedcylinder.Thestudents
shouldreadthecylinderateyelevel.Thewaterwillformameniscusit
willbehigheratthesidesofthecylinderthanitisinthecenterofthe
cylinder.Thestudentsshouldreadthemarkingonthecylinderthatislevel
withthebottomofthemeniscus.Ifthereadingfromthegraduated
cylinderfallsbetweentwomillilitermarkings,studentsshouldusethe
eyedroppertoaddasmallamountofwatertothecylindertoraisethe
waterleveltoamillilitermarking.
Havestudentsreadandrecordtheinitialwaterlevelinthecylinder.
Askstudentstopredictwhatwillhappenwhentheydrop1centimeter
cubeintothewater.Then,havethemdropthecentimetercubeintothe
watertotesttheirprediction.
Allowthestudentstoexperimentlongenoughtocometothefollowing
conclusion:1milliliterofwaterisdisplacedbyeachcentimetercube.Each
centimetercubehasavolumeof1cubiccentimeter.So,amilliliterof
watertakesupthesameamountofspaceasacubiccentimeter.
Giveeachgroupofstudentsanorange(oranothertypeoffruitorveggieas
longasitdoesntfloatinwater).Inaddition,makesuretheobjectwillfit
intothegraduatedcylinder.Studentsmayneedtogetalargergraduated
cylindertoaccommodatetheirpieceoffruit.
Havethestudentsmakeapredictionforthevolumeofthepieceoffruit
(usingcubiccentimeters).Remindthemthatthevolumeoftheirobjectwill
beequaltotheamountofwaterdisplacedwhentheobjectissubmergedin
water(measuredinmillilitersinthegraduatedcylinder).
Finally,havethestudentsmeasurethevolumeoftheirpieceoffruitusing
thegraduatedcylinder.

Estimation is hard for students at all grade levels. Usually as teachers, we just
do not have a lot of time to spend on it, but having something that students
estimate on a regular basis will help develop their estimation skills. I have them
estimate jars or bottles full of things each morning, as well as have them always
estimate the number of seeds in any fruit or vegetable that we might have on
hand. The more of these experiments we do, the better the students get at
predicting and estimating.
Suggestions for Classroom Use:
First, always have the students predict the number of seeds in the object. (You
will be surprised by the number of students that do not know that there is only
one seed/pit in a peach, for instance.)
Second, cut the object open and inspect and count the number of seeds in the
object. (Sometimes it is helpful to suggest that the students group their seeds in
10s or 100s depending on the object.)
Third, be sure they record the actual number of seeds on some type of
recording sheet.
Fourth, compare each table or groups findings with the entire class. This is a
good time to teach some common measures of central tendency (mean,
median, and mode) and range.
Fifth, creating a graph (line, bar, pictograph, stem and leaf, etc.) of the class
data is a fun way to compare and contrast their classroom information.

Seed Prediction
STACKING ORANGES
Grades K-8
Why Do It: To help participants enhance their logical-thinking skills as they first seek hand-
on and then abstract solution patterns for an everyday problem.
Material Needed: A bag of 35 oranges (or balls all of the same size) and 4 pieces of 2 X 2
X 18 lumber for the base framework (or use heavy books).

Procedure:
1. Tell the participants that for their new math job they will need to stack oranges, like
grocery stores sometimes do. Ask how the orange stacks stay piled up; why dont they
fall down? Discuss the concept that the stacks are usually in the shape of either
square or triangle based pyramids. Then allow the students to begin helping with the
orange-stacking experiment.
2. As they are sometimes easier to conceptualize, the participants might begin piling and
analyzing patterns when the oranges are stacked as square-based pyramids. Have them
predict and then build the succeeding levels. The top (Level 1) will have, of course, only
1 orange. How many oranges will be required for the next level down (Level 2)? What
about Level 3; discuss possibilities and then build it. How about Level 4? Since there
arent enough additional oranges to build a still larger base level (Level 5), how might
we figure the number that would be needed?
3. It may be sufficient for young students to predict, build, and develop logical concepts
for dealing with Levels 1 4. Older students, however, should likely get into the
business of logically analyzing the orange-stacking progression. Thus, from the top
down, Level 1 = 1 orange; Level 2 = 4 oranges; Level 3 = 9 oranges; Level 4 = 16 oranges;
Level 5 will require 25 oranges. How many oranges will be needed for Level 6, Level 8,
Level 10, or Level 20? Write a statement or a formula that we can use to tell how many
oranges will be needed at any designated level.
4. When ready, students might also be challenged with stacking oranges as triangular-
based pyramids. With 35 oranges the participants will be able to predict, build, and
analyze Levels 1 - 5 . Then, how many oranges will be needed for Level 6, Level 8, etc.?
As before, write a statement or a formula that we can use to tell how many oranges
will be needed at any designated level.
Extensions:
1. When finished with the orange-stacking experiments, the participants may, after
washing their hands, be allowed to eat the oranges. (Note: Be certain that no one is
allergic to oranges.)
2. The findings from both the square and triangular orange-stacking experiments
might be set forth as bar graphs and then analyzed, compared and contrasted.
3. Advanced students might be challenged to try orange stacks with bases of other
shapes. What if the base was a rectangle using 8 oranges as the length and have a
5-orange width, etc. In another situation if 7 oranges formed a hexagon base, how
many oranges would need to be in the level above it; how many would be needed to
form a new base under it, etc.?
Solutions:
1. At first , participants will often notice that Level 2 has 3 more oranges than
Level 1, Level 3 has 5 more oranges than Level 2Level 4 has 7 more oranges,
etc. This realization will allow them to figure out the number of oranges needed
at any level, but the required computation will be cumbersome!
2. A more efficient method occurs when the participants realize that all of the
Levels are square numbers. That is, Level 1 = 1
2
= 1 orange,; Level 2 = 2
2
= 4
oranges; Level 3 = 3
2
= 9, etc.
Cool Facts from Sunkist for Kids
1. Youd have to eat 7 cups of corn flakes to get the same amount of fiber as
one medium orange.
2. Navel oranges are named that because of the belly-button formation
opposite the stem end.
Hint: The bigger the navel in an orange, the sweeter the orange.
3. When is an orange green? When it is a Valencia!
4. After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the worlds favorite flavor.
5. Christopher Columbus brought the first orange seeds and seedlings to the
New World on his second voyage in 1493.

Sunkist offers games, experiments, and recipes at their website for teachers
and students.
www.sunkist.com/kids/facts/oranges.asp
OrangeJuiceCake
Ingredients:
13.5packageinstantvanillapudding
118.25ouncepackageyellowcakemix
4eggs
cupvegetableoil
1cupcoldwater
cupofbutter
cupwhitesugar
cuporangejuice
Directions:
1. Preheatovento350degrees.GreasealargeBundtpan.
2. Combinethecakemix,puddingmix,water,oil,andeggstogether.Mixwithanelectricmixeron
mediumspeedfor2minutes.PourbatterintoBundtpan.
3. Bakefor30minutes,oruntilknifeinsertedincakecomesoutclean.
4. Combinethebutter,sugar,andorangejuiceinasaucepan.Boilthismixtureforabout2minutes.
Whitestillwarm,pokeholesinthetopofthecakewithafork.Pourorangejuicemixtureovercake.
Whenthecakeissaturatedplaceitonaplant,andjusttopwithconfectionerssugar.

Pumpkin Math
1. Does the size of the pumpkin make any difference in
the number of seeds inside the pumpkin?
2. Do the number of rib lines relate to the number of
seeds inside?
3. Do the number of rib lines relate to the size of the
pumpkin?
4. Estimate the weight of the pumpkin, then weigh it.
How close was your estimate?
5. Estimate the circumference (the total distance around
it) of your pumpkin, then measure it. How close was
your estimate?
6. Estimate the surface area of your pumpkin in
stickers. How close was your estimate?
7. Estimate the number or seeds in the pumpkin, then
dig them all out and count them. Hint: group them in
10s or 100s. How close was your estimate.
8. Which estimate did you predict the best? Why?
Jack - o - Lantern Glyph
Materials needed:
Pencil
Crayons, pencil colors, and/or markers
Assembly instructions:
Rib Lines Draw a line for each year you are old
Eye Shape Circles - if there are 2 people in your family
Triangles - if there are 3 people in your family
Squares - if there are 4 people in your family

Pentagons - if there are 5 people in your
family
Hexagon - for 6 or more people in your family
Eye Color Black - if you like bugs and snakes
Yellow - if you do not like bugs and snakes
Green - if you like bugs but not snakes
Blue - if you like snakes but not bugs
Nose Shape Rectangular - if you have a pet
Heart shaped - if you do not have a pet
Mouth Shape Smile- if you will wear a friendly costume
Frown - if you will wear a scary costume
Smile with teeth - if you will not wear a
costume
Stem Color Yellow - if you like suckers the best
Brown - if you like chocolate candy the test
Green - if you like all kinds of candy
Black - if you don't like candy at all
Eyebrow Shape Smooth - if you are a girl
Jagged - if you are a boy

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

A B C D E F G H I
Jack-0-Lantern
Name: Date:
Jack-o-Lantern 1 tkawas@mathwire.com
Jack-0-Lantern


O
= orange
Y
B = brown
W = white
B W
Y
O
Y = yellow
O = orange
O
W
W = white
O = orange
Y
O
Y = yellow
O = orange
= yellow
C7
D7
E7
F7
G7
B7
B6
C6
D6
O
O
O
O
W
O
W
O
O
O
E6
F6
G6
B5
C5
D5
E5
F5
G5
Y
O
Y
O
B4
C4
D4
E4
F4
G4
B3
C3
D3
E3
F3
G3
O
O
Y
O
Y
O
Y
Y
C2
D2
E2
F2
B2
G2
D8
E8

O
O
O
O
0
W
O
W
B W
W B

O
Y
O
O
Y
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Jack-o-Lantern 2 tkawas@mathwire.com
9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

A B C D E F G H I
Jack-0-Lantern
Name: Answer Key
Jack-o-Lantern 3 tkawas@mathwire.com
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
INGREDIENTS
One medium sized pumpkin
Salt
Olive oil
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 400F. Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the
insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.
2 In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add
a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Bring to a boil.
Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
3 Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over
the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes.
When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the
seeds cool all the way down before eating. Either crack to remove the inner seed (a lot of work and in
my opinion, unnecessary) or eat whole.

Yummy Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a
single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden
brown; stir occasionally.


EASY PUMPKIN PIE
INGREDIENTS:

cup sugar
1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cups evaporated milk or half and half
2 eggs, beaten
1 PillsburyPet-Ritzfrozen deep-dish pie crust

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 425F. In large bowl, mix filling ingredients. Pour into pie crust.
Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F; bake 40 to 50 minutes
longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 2 hours. Serve or
refrigerate until serving time. Store in refrigerator.
ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp. butter
1/2-1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. onion powder or to taste
Little salt
Take seeds out of pumpkin. Wash seeds thoroughly. Lay on
parchment paper to dry (overnight is best).
In a saucepan, melt butter. Take off heat, mix in all other ingredients.
Stir together with seeds until all seeds are well covered. Lay out single
layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 250F for 2 hours.
Watermelon Math
Estimate how much the watermelon weighs.
Will the watermelon sink or float?
Guess how many seeds are in a watermelon.
Estimate circumference of a watermelon.
Watermelon Math Center
Make 10 green rinds and write a number word on them.
Make 10 red watermelon parts and place seeds on them.
Students match the rind to the watermelon.
Here is a baggie center I made. The student matched the rind to the correct watermelon.

Watermelon Fractions
Make fractions using paper watermelons (halves, quarters, thirds...)
Watermelon Dice Game
For each game: Cutout a large watermelon from cardstock. Cut out 40 watermelon seeds.
To play: students play in twos. Each student gets 20 watermelon seeds and one die. Students
take turns rolling the die. First to get all their seeds on the watermelon wins!
Watermelon Seed Math Game
Prepare a set of watermelon cards with numbers 1-9. Place cards face down. Student draws
two cards and adds them together to find the sum.

Watermelon Glyph
How old are you - Place seeds on to match age.
Watermelon is your favorite fruit - seeds are round.
Watermelon is not your favorite fruit - seeds are square.
I am a boy - yellow rind
I am a girl - green rind
Which do you like best?
I like watermelon flavored Kool-Aid best - pink watermelon
I like watermelon flavored gum best - red melon
Math or Reading?
1 bite mark - I prefer math
2 bites - I prefer reading
Watermelon Cookies
3/4 c. butter or margarine
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. almond extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
Red and Green food coloring
Raisins ( Used to resemble watermelon seeds)
In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg, and extract until light and fluffy. Combine flout,
salt, and baking powder; stir into creamed mixture and mix well. Remove 1 cup of dough; set
aside. At low speed, beat in enough red food coloring to tint dough deep red. Roll into a 3
1/2-in.-long tube; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Divide 1 cup
of reserved dough into two pieces. To one piece, add enough green food coloring to tint dough
deep green. Do not tint remaining piece of dough. Wrap each piece separately in plastic wrap;
chill until firm. On a floured sheet of waxed paper, roll untinted dough into a 8 1/2-in. x 3
1/2-in. rectangle. Place red dough along short end of rectangle. Roll up and encircle red
dough with untinted dough; set aside. On floured waxed paper, roll the green dough into a
10-in. x 3 1/2-in. rectangle. Place tube of red/untinted dough along the short end of green
dough. Roll up and encircle tube with green dough; Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate
at least 8 hours or overnight. Unwrap dough and cut into 1/8-in. slices, place 1 in. apart on
ungreased baking sheets. Lightly press raisins and sesame seeds into each slice. Bake at 375
for 6-8 min. or until cookies are firm, but not brown. While still warm, cut each cookie in
half or into pie-shaped wedges. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 3 dozen
Jump With Jill

Rockstar Nutritionist J ump with J ill
Promotes Watermelon
The "Eat More Watermelon! J ump with J ill
Tour" kicked off National Nutrition Month in
March. This rock 'n roll nutrition tour sings to
the tasty tune of watermelon throughout
elementary schools nationwide. From
California to New J ersey, and Nebraska to
Texas, the tour will run from March through
September 2011 and is expected to reach over 30,000 kids. The shows
educational, movement-inducing tunes are an innovative way to teach kids
the benefits of enjoying fruit like watermelon over soda or candy.
Watermelon is naturally sweet and is like eating a multi-vitamin; its high
in lycopene, Vitamin C, A, and it has Vitamin B6, says show creator J ill
J ayne, a registered dietitian and musician. Its nutritious, and delicious,
and fun to eat. There is no food Id rather sing about!"
Better known as the Rockstar Nutritionist, J ill J ayne has created a
reputation of healthy rock since 2006. Her unique approach to nutrition
addresses the childhood obesity crisis in a way that todays media-savvy
kids can digest. Using music, dance, and interactive learning, the show
improves retention of healthy habits by using the same tools used by mass
media marketers to sell junk food. J ill teaches entire schools about healthy
eating and staying active. J ills work has been performed for over 100,000
kids across the United States and has been featured in national media
outlets including NPR, PBS, The Washington Post, and industry trade
publications.
To learn more about the J ump with J ill program, and to see if she's coming
to a school near you, visit her website at www.jumpwithjill.com or contact
Stephanie Simek at ssimek@watermelon.org.
Watermelon
Seed Spitting!

Another idea for using watermelons in your mathematics
classroom is to hold a seed spitting contest with your
students, and let your kids practice their estimation and
measurement skills for linear measurement.
Many towns in Texas have annual festivals where seed spittin
contests are held. Students could research these festivals (for
example the Watermelon Thump in Luling, TX, or the Peach
& Melon Festival in De Leon, TX) and also research various
techniques for spitting watermelon seeds before the contest is
held.
By the way. Did you know that the World Record for
spitting a watermelon seed is ----- 75 feet, 2 inches! This
record was set at the 81
st
De Leon Peach & Melon Festival on
August 12, 1995, by Jason Schayot. This feat passed the
previous world record of 68 feet, 9.125 inches set by Lee
Wheelis at the Luling Watermelon Thump in 1989
(http://web.mac.com/jptate/De_Leon_Handbook/World_Re
cord.html).

Fruity
Fractions
and more


Challenge your students to find fractions that occur in nature
or in their world outside of the classroom.
Your students shouldnt have much trouble finding many
fractions, but thirds will most likely be difficult for them to
find. For example, even on highway signs, you dont ever see
a sign that says that your next exit is 1/3 mile away!
A great example of thirds in the fruit world is the banana.
When split lengthwise down the center, the banana will always
split into equal thirds! Go ahead try it!
Other Fruits . . . . .
Thereareseveralotherfruitsthatyoucandosimilarexercises/experimentswithsuchasapples,
lemons,limes,grapefruit,kiwifruitpeaches,nectarines,apricots,cantaloupes,etc. Ofcourse,some
donotlendthemselvestocountingseeds(kiwifruit,peaches,nectarines,etc.),andsomearebetter
foronethingthananother.Asateacher,youcanpickandchoosewhichthingsyouwanttoteachand
emphasizeandwhatyoudonotwanttoteach.
HowcanIobtainthefruit?Manyschoolsgetcommoditiesfromthestate,andthelunchroomladies
canbecomeyourbestfriend.Manytimestheyarethrilledatgettingridofsomeoftheirexcessfruit.
Additionally,gettoknowyourlocalproducemanager.Manytimesaproducemanagerwillgiveyou
freefruitorvegetablesiftheyaregoingtothrowthemout,ortheywillsellthemtoyouatadiscount
iftheyknowtheyareforschoollearningexperiences.Remembertoalwayssendthemapersonalized
thankyounotesignedbyallyourstudents.
Alwayscheckforallergiesthatyourstudentshavebeforebringinganyfruitorvegetableintoyour
classroom.
Therearemanyotherfruitsthatcanbepurchasedforclassroomusesuchasstarfruit,dragonfruit,
Clementine,jackfruit,kumquat,mango,pineapple,Uglifruit,andthelistgoeson.Youshouldalways
allowthestudentstotastethefruitiftheysodesire.Manystudentshavenevertastedanythingother
thananapple,banana,orange,andstrawberryandthatisauniqueexperienceinitselfforthemto
notonlyseebuttotastesomethingnew.
BottomlineHAVEFUNMAKEITFUNANDITWILLBEFUNFORALL!

Wehaveusedsomefruitandgivenyoumanyideasofhowtouseotherfruitsbutwhatabout
vegetables?Letlookatsomeideas:
Radishes:Thesearegoodforfindingcircumference,diameter,mass,weight,andshape
comparison.
Carrots:Thesearegreattousefornonstandardlinearmeasurement,weight,mass,andshape
comparison.
Cucumbers:Thesearegreattousefornonstandardlinearmeasurementandshapecomparison.
Celery:Goodtousefornonstandardlinearmeasurement.
Potatoes:Youcandoeverythingwedidwiththeorangewithapotatoexceptforpredictionand
calculationofseeds.(Potatoesarecheapandeasytoobtain.)
Greenbeans:Makewonderfulnonstandardlinearmeasurement.
Squash:Thesearegreatforweight,mass,andnonstandardlinearmeasurement.
BellPeppers:Iwouldavoidbecausethejuice/liquidinsidehasatendencytoburneyes.

And a Few Veggies!

Literature
Connections

Amend,B.(2003).YourMommaThinksSquareRootsareVegetables.KansasCity:AndrewsMcMeelPublishing.
Burns,M.(1997).SpaghettiandMeatballsforAll!AMathematicalStory.NewYork:Scholastic.
Carpenter,D.H.(2004).ApplestoOregon.NewYork:Scholastic.
Cook,D.F.(1998).Kids'PumpkinProjects:Planting&HarvestFun.Charlotte,VT:WilliamsonPublishingCo.
Fleming,M.(2003).OneLittlePumpkin.NewYork:Scholastic.
Giganti,P.(1992).EachOrangeHad8Slices.NewYork:GreenwillowBooks.
Goldstone,B.(2006).GreatEstimations.NewYork:Scholastic.
HartDavis,A.(1998).AmazingMathPuzzles.NewYork:SterlingPublishingCo.,Inc.
Hatchett,M.A.(2011).FindtheMathematics...intheGreatOutdoorsofTexas!TexasMathematicsTeacher,LVIII(1),17.
Hopkinson,D.,&Carpenter,N.(2004).ApplestoOregon.NewYork:Scholastic.
Kroll,S.(1984).TheBiggestPumpkinEver.NewYork:Scholastic.
Leeming,J.(2008).FabulousFunwithPuzzles.NewYork:Time,Inc.
McNamara,M.(2007).HowManySeedsinaPumpkin?NewYork:Schwartz&WadeBooks.
Murphy,S.J.(1996).GiveMeHalf!NewYork:Scholastic.
Murphy,S.J.(1998).LemonadeforSale.NewYork:HarperCollins.
Pallotta,J.(2002).AppleFractions.NewYork:Scholastic.
Weiskopf,C.(2002).Lemon&Ice&EverythingNice.NewYork:Scholastic.
White,L.(1996).TooManyPumpkins.NewYork:HolidayHouse.

Name _________________________________ Date ________________

Fruity
Math
Recording Sheet

Object to be measured: _______________

Attributeto
beMeasured
Our
Prediction
Our
Measurement