4.NF.A.

1,
4.NF.A.2,
4.NF.B.3,
4.NF.B.4
 How to Use
Career Math Fractions
Your students always want to know when they are going to use math in the real world! They also
love dreaming about what they will be when they grow up! This project is a great combination of
these two ideas! Students get to choose a career path and see how that job uses fractions in the
real world!

This project is perfect for fourth grade students working on fraction application skills. It includes
single step and multi-step problems. It also shows fractions in a variety of different contexts
including number lines, bar models, and more! It is recommended to use this project once students
have already learned the basic fraction concepts. It works great as an end-of-unit project for
fourth grade or beginning-of-unit review project for fifth grade!

In this project, students choose the job that sounds most interesting to them and then they
complete the project on the pages designated for that career choice. The career choices include
baker, musician, scientist and detective. Each job includes 8 pages of fun and engaging fraction
application practice. A description of the 8 pages is listed below:
• One page of story problems of possible fraction situations for that job
• A one to two-page extended story problem task
• A two to three-page math task about a scenario someone with that job might encounter
• A two-page math task where the student is put into the role of that job
• A fun page where students get to take ownership of the career choice and create/design
something related to their job choice

This project works great for independent practice, small groups, a distance learning project, an end-
of-unit project, an early finisher option and more! At the end you can have a “career fair” where
students can showcase their work in that particular career!

This project is differentiated and includes two versions so students at all levels of fraction practice
can be engaged in this purposeful practice! The entire project is aligned to standards 4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2,
4.NF.B.3, 4.NF.B.4, and level 2 is aligned to 5.NF.A.1 and 5.NF.A.2. Decimals are not included in this project.
• Level One: Includes fractions with denominators of halves, fourths, eights, thirds and sixths.
Includes unit fractions and non-unit fractions with like denominators. Fraction multiplication
includes mostly unit fractions, and fraction and mixed number addition and subtraction includes
minimal regrouping.
• Level Two: Includes fractions with denominators of halves, fourths, eights, thirds, sixths and
twelfths. Includes unit and non-unit fractions and both like and unlike denominators for
comparisons and addition/subtraction. Includes multiplication of a whole number by a non-unit
fraction and also requires regrouping for many of the fraction and mixed number addition and
subtraction problems.
There is also a digital version included which is compatible with Google Classroom, so this is a great
option for distance learning! You can choose to have students try the project using all four career
choices and decide at the end which one they liked the best! All together this project includes 30 pages
of engaging fraction application practice.

If you have any questions about this resource, please feel free to email me at
mathcoachconnection@gmail.com

Enjoy! Melanie
Directions for
Digital Use
For Use With Google Slides/Google Classroom

• Click the links below for the Google Slides version of

each level of this resource. Click “Make a Copy”
when the file opens.
• Career Math Fractions Level One
• Career Math Fractions Level Two
• To upload to Google yourself, follow the steps
below. These steps also work for uploading to One
Drive or other online platforms.
1. Open the ZIP file for this project. Upload the
Power Point files (with digital in the title) to
your Google Drive account.
2. Once they are uploaded, if you click to open
them, they will be in a reader view. You need to
click “open with Google Slides.” Once you open it
using Google Slides, it is in your account so you
can now assign it using Google Classroom (just
make sure to have Google Classroom make a
copy for every student so they are not typing
on the same document).
3. The easy-to-use “Type Answer Here” boxes will
appear in the Google Slides version of this
project.
 Answer key
Name:____________________

Answer
Key
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 1: Baker
Name: KEY
Bakers Bustling 4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3d,
4.NF.B.4

Answer the following questions about possible situations where a baker

would use fractions. Draw a model on a separate sheet of paper to
represent each problem.
5 4
1. A baker was baking a batch of brownies. He used 2 cups of flour and cup sugar in
6 6
his recipe. How much more flour did he use than sugar?

1
2 𝑐𝑢𝑝 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒
6

2. Calli was trying to make frosting to frost her famous sugar cookies. The recipe calls
2 1
for 1 cups of powdered sugar. She has a measuring cup that measures cup. How
3 3
many times will she have to fill up her measuring cup to have enough powdered sugar
for her frosting recipe?

5 times

3. Kory was baking red velvet cakes for three different weddings. If each
1
cake uses cup of cocoa powder, then how much cocoa powder will Kory
4
use?

3 x ¼ = ¾ cup

4. Emilio baked two pizzas to share with the other bakers at his Italian bakery. They
5 3
ate of a pepperoni pizza and of a cheese pizza. Did they eat more pepperoni pizza
8 4
or more cheese pizza?

¾ = 4/8 which is less than 5/8 so they ate more pepperoni pizza

Page 4
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 1: Baker
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3d, 4.NF.B.4c

Cake Craziness
Sayeed is participating in a cake baking competition and is trying to decide
which cake to bake! Complete the chart below and answer the questions to
help him decide what type of cake to bake! Be sure to explain your answers!
Type of Cake Amount of Flour Amount of Sugar Total Cups of
Needed for One Cake Needed for One Cake Flour and Sugar
Combined

Carrot Cake 3
18 cup
3
cup 6 3
8 1 𝑜𝑟 1
8 4
Chocolate Cake 4
cup
2
cup 2
2 3 2
3
Strawberry 3
1 cup
6
cup 1
2
Vanilla Cake 6 6 2
Lemon Berry 1
28 cup
4
cup 5
2
Cake 8 8

1. Which cake uses the most flour?

Lemon Berry Cake

2. Which cake uses the most sugar?

Strawberry Vanilla Cake

1
3. Sayeed only has 1 cups of flour. Which cakes can he make?
2

Carrot Cake & Strawberry Vanilla Cake

Page 5
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 1: Baker
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3d, 4.NF.B.4c

Cake Craziness
Sayeed won the competition and was asked to bake his delicious cakes for
local birthday parties and weddings. Use the chart below to determine how
much of each ingredient he needs to fulfill his cake orders!
Type of Cake Amount of Flour Amount of Sugar
Needed for One Cake Needed for One Cake Cake Orders
Carrot Cake 3 3 • 6 carrot cakes
18 cup cup • 3 chocolate
6
cakes
Chocolate Cake 4 2 • 4 strawberry
cup cup vanilla cakes
2 3
• 8 lemon berry
Strawberry 3 6
16 cup cup cakes
Vanilla Cake 6
Lemon Berry 1 4
28 cup cup
Cake 8

Type of Cake Amount of Sugar Needed for

All the Cake Orders

4. Which cake did

Carrot Cake 3 cups Sayeed need the
least sugar for all his
cake orders?
Chocolate Cake 2 cups
Chocolate Cake

Strawberry Vanilla Cake 4 cups

Lemon Berry Cake 4 cups

Page 6
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 1: Baker
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2

Brownie Baking
The Bliss Brownie Bakery has a big problem! A new baker was working this morning and
he made a mistake. He baked all the brownies, and they taste delicious, but he cut
every type of brownie into a different slices! Use the models below to answer the
questions on this page and the following page to help the Bliss Brownie Bakery
complete all their orders for the day! Each pan of brownies is the same size.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies Mint Meltaway Brownies

Walnut Crunch Brownies Milk Chocolate Brownies Dark Chocolate Cherry

Brownies
Daily Brownie Orders
Name Brownie Orders
Mrs. Nelson 1
of a pan of Mint Meltaway
4
Brownies

Mr. Yang 3 slices of Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Mrs. Ortega 2 slices of Walnut Crunch Brownies

and 2 slices of Milk Chocolate
Brownies

Mr. Perugini 1
of a pan of Chocolate Fudge
3
Brownies

Mrs. Nunez 5 slices of Dark Chocolate Cherry

Brownies Page 7
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 1: Baker
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2

Brownie Baking
Use the models and information on the previous page to answer the following
questions to help the Brownie Bliss Bakery complete their orders for the day.

1. How many slices of Chocolate Fudge Brownies are equivalent to two

slices of Walnut Crunch Brownies?
8 slices because 8/12 = 2/3

2. Did Mrs. Nunez order more than ½ or less than ½ of a pan of

brownies? Explain.

More than ½ because 5/8 is more than 4/8

3. How many slices of brownies will Mr. Perugini get?

4 slices because 4/12 = 1/3

4. What fraction of a pan of brownies did Mr. Yang get?

¼ of a pan because 3/12 = 1/4

5. Did Mrs. Ortega get more Walnut Crunch Brownies or more Milk
Chocolate Brownies?

She had 2/3 of a pan of walnut crunch brownies and 2/6 of a pan of
milk chocolate brownies so she got more walnut crunch brownies

6. How many brownie slices will Mrs. Nelson get?

3 slices because 3/12 = 1/4

7. Who ordered the most brownies?

Mrs. Ortega because 2/3 of a pan + 2/6 of a pan = 1 whole pan of
brownies
Page 8
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 1: Baker
Name: KEY

Be the Baker!
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3c, 4.NF.B.3d

Today you are the baker, and you are baking delicious artisan bread! Use the
information below about bread recipes as well as how to slice the bread to complete
the baking and have the bread ready to go for the day!
Ciabatta Bread Brioche Bread Baguette

1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0
1
loaf
1
loaf
3
loaf 1 loaf 0 loaf loaf 1 loaf 0
8
loaf
8
loaf
8
loaf
8
loaf
8
loaf
8
loaf
8
loaf 1 loaf
3 3
4 2 4

Ciabatta Bread Brioche Bread Baguette

3 2 2
Dough Rise Time: 4
hour Dough Rise Time: 8
hour Dough Rise Time: 2
hour
5 4 3
Bake time: hour Bake time: hour Bake time: hour
8 4 6
Ingredients Ingredients Ingredients
1 4 4
• teaspoon instant • teaspoon instant • teaspoon instant
4 8 6
yeast yeast yeast

1 1 1
• teaspoon salt • 6
teaspoon salt • teaspoon salt
3 4

1 6 3
• teaspoon olive oil • cups unsalted butter • 1 cups water
2 8 8

1 2 2
• 4 4 cups bread flour • cups sugar • 4 4 cups bread flour
3

• 2 cups water •
1
1 2 cups bread flour

1. Each loaf of bread is cut into a different number of pieces. How many slices of Ciabatta bread
are equivalent to six slices of the Baguette? Put a point on the number line above.
6 slices is 6/8 which is equivalent to ¾ so 3 slices of Ciabatta

Page 9
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 1: Baker
Name: KEY

Be the Baker!
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3c, 4.NF.B.3d

Using the information from the previous page, answer the following questions to make
sure the bread gets baked on time!

1. Bread dough needs to rise/rest before it is baked. This means that a baker needs to cover the
dough in plastic wrap and let it sit out for a while before baking it. Use the dough rise times from
the recipe cards on the previous page to create a timeline of how long it takes for each type of
bread to rise. Use dough rise time from each recipe card and put a point on the number line below
to represent each type of bread. Find a common denominator and use that to label the points on
your timeline. Label each point.

Baguette
0 hours Brioche Ciabatta 1 hour

2. Create a timeline on the number line below to represent how long it takes each type of bread to
bake. Use bake time from each recipe card and put a point on the number line below to represent
each type of bread. Find a common denominator and use that to label the points on your timeline.
Label each point.

0 hours Ciabatta 1 hour

Baguette Brioche
3. How much total salt was used in all three recipes combined?

¾ teaspoon

4. How much more bread flour than water does the Baguette recipe use?

1
3 𝑐𝑢𝑝 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒
8
1
5. You have 1 teaspoons of instant yeast. Do you have enough yeast to make all three
2
recipes?
5
Yes because you only need 1 12 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑠

6. Bonus challenge: What is the total rise time + bake time for all three recipes? Put them in
order from shortest overall time to longest overall time.
3
Brioche (1 ¼ hours), Ciabatta (1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠), Baguette (1 ½ hours)
8
Page 10
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 2: Musician
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3d,
Musical Madness 4.NF.B.4c

Answer the following questions about possible situations where a musician

would use fractions. Draw a model on a separate sheet of paper to
represent each problem.
1
1. Ariella played a song on the piano that was minute long. Johnny played a song on the
3
trumpet that was 4 times longer than the song that Ariella played on the piano. How long
was the song that Johnny played?

1
4 x 1/3 = 4/3 or 1 3

6
2. A violin player broke a string on her violin. The string was foot long. When she got to
8
the store to buy a new string, she found out that strings were only sold in sizes of one
1 1 3
foot, foot, foot and foot. What size string should she buy at the store so that it
8 2 4
matches the string that broke on her violin? Prove your answer.

¾ of a foot = 6/8

3. A famous singer went on tour. She sang at a big concert in front of thousands of
4 1
people. She sang country songs for hour and sang pop songs for 1 hours. How long
8 4
did she spend singing in her concert?
3
1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟
4

1
4. Pedro has three instruments that he plays in the band. He has an oboe that is 2 feet
6
5 2
long, a clarinet that is 1 6 feet long and a flute that is 2 feet long. Put these three
8
instruments in order from longest to shortest.

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet

Page 12
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 2: Musician
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2

Instrument Inquiry
Musicians need to know a lot about different instruments. There are many different
types of instruments that musicians play. They range in size from a type of flute that is
over 15 feet long, to the world’s smallest violin that measures at just over one inch long
and everywhere in between. Answer the following questions about instrument sizes.
The instruments below are all different sizes! Organize these instruments by size by creating a
number line on the line provided below. Each instrument should have a point on the number line.

Instrument Length

Clarinet 5
1 6 feet

Acoustic Guitar 3
feet
1

Violin 2
1 4 feet

Recorder 3
feet
3

Saxophone 1
2 3 feet

Trumpet 4
1 8 feet

Electric Guitar 1
3 6 feet

EG

0 feet 1 foot C 2 feet S 3 feet 4 feet

V&T
R AG
1. Which instrument is the longest?

Electric Guitar

2. Which instrument is the shortest?

Recorder

3. How did you decide where the Trumpet should go on the number line?
Answers will vary
Page 13
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 2: Musician
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2,

Instrument Inquiry 4.NF.B.3

Musicians need to know a lot about different instruments. There are many different
types of instruments that musicians play. Instruments also range in weight from less
than one pound to over 1,000 pounds!
The instruments below all weigh different amounts! Complete the chart and answer the following
questions about the weight of these instruments. Some of the weights are already written for
you and some you need to use the weight information in the table to solve.

Instrument Weight Information Actual Instrument

(in pounds) Weight
Clarinet 1
3 3 lbs
1
3 3 lbs

Acoustic Guitar 1
2 6 lbs heavier than a 5 ½ lbs
clarinet
Violin 1
1 2 lbs lighter than an 4 lbs
acoustic guitar
Recorder 4
lb
4
lb
6 6

Saxophone 1
3 3 lbs heavier than a 4 lbs
recorder
Trumpet 1
2 2 lbs
1
2 2 lbs

Electric Guitar 2
3 3 lbs heavier than an 1
9 𝑙𝑏𝑠
acoustic guitar 6

1. How much more does an acoustic guitar weigh than a trumpet?

3 pounds

2. Bonus: How much less does the lightest instrument weigh than the heaviest instrument?
8 ½ lbs more
Page 14
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 2: Musician
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.B.4
Music Reading Riddle
Musicians must learn to read and write music. Reading and writing music is very different
from reading and writing books. Instead of words, there are musical notes. Musical notes are
positioned on something called a staff. The staff tells you which notes to play and how long
to play them. Some musical notes last for four beats, some for two beats and some for
one beat. Use the diagrams and information below to answer the questions on the following
page about reading and writing music!
4 4
This symbol means we are in
4
time. 4
time means that there are four quarter note beats in one measure.

Whole Note Half Notes Quarter Notes

This is one
measure. It is
four beats
long.
One whole note lasts four One half note lasts two beats. One quarter note lasts one
beats (it lasts one whole You can fit two half notes in beat. You can fit four quarter
measure). one whole measure. notes in one whole measure.

To make music, musicians put multiple measures of music together like the model above. Musicians can also
play different notes which make different sounds by putting the whole notes, half notes and quarter notes
in different places along the staff like the model below.

Musicians can even mix up the whole notes, half notes and quarter notes, as long as each measure adds up
to four beats. Check out the model below for an example.

Page 15
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 2: Musician
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.B.4
Music Reading Riddle
Use the models and information from the previous page to answer the following questions.

Let’s turn musical notes into fractions! A half note is worth two beats out of
2 1
four total beats in a measure so we would write the fraction as or .
4 2
2
=4
1. How would you write a whole note as a fraction?

4/4

2. How would you write a quarter note as a fraction?

3. Which note has the greatest value, a whole note, a quarter note or a half note?

Whole note because it is one whole measure

4. Write a multiplication expression to represent playing 3 quarter notes. What is the

value of three quarter notes?

3x¼=¾

5. If you played 6 half notes, how many full measures of music would you play?

3 full measures because 6 x ½ = 3

6. How many quarter notes is equal to three half notes? Use multiplication to explain
your answer.

6 quarter notes

7. Write an expression that represents playing three whole notes, six quarter notes and
three half notes. How many measures of music would you play?
(3 x 1) + (6 x ½) + (3 x ¼) = 6 ¼ measures of music

Page 16
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 2: Musician
Name: KEY
Song Scenarios
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3

One type of musician is called a songwriter. Songwriters usually know how to sing or play
an instrument. They also know how to read and write music. They use this skill to help
them write songs. Now it’s your turn to be the songwriter! Don’t worry if you don’t know
how to sing or play an instrument yet! Just use the information below to help you answer
the following questions and write your first song!

You have been chosen to participate in a songwriting competition. Your competitors’ song
names, song titles, song lengths and the amount of time they spent at the recording
studio are listed below. Use this information to help you answer the following questions
and write your own song!

Songwriter: Joelle Johnson Songwriter: Naomi Mahones

Song Name: Small Town Song Name: Let Down Blues

Turnaround
5
Song Length: 2 minutes
3 6
Song Length: 2 minutes
8
Time spent at the
Time spent at the 2
recording studio: 3 hours
3 3
recording studio: 4 hours
4

Songwriter: Ty O’Reilly Songwriter: Akio Shin

Song Name: Sunsets on the Song Name: Hideaway

Water
3
Song Length: 2 minutes
2 4
Song Length: 3 minutes
3
Time spent at the
Time spent at the 6
recording studio: 3 hours
3 8
recording studio: 4 hours
6

Page 17
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 2: Musician
Name: KEY
Song Scenarios
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3

Answer the following questions about the songwriting competition entries

from the previous page. Then create your songwriting competition entry at
the bottom!
1. Which songwriter wrote the longest song?
Ty O’Reilly

2. Which songwriter spent the most time at the recording studio?

Joelle Johnson

3. How much longer did Joelle Johnson spend at the recording studio than Akio Shin?
One hour longer

4. How much shorter is Naomi Mahones’ song than Ty O’Reilly’s song?

5
𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟
6
5. How much time did Naomi Mahones and Ty O’Reilly spend at the recording studio
combined?
1
8 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
6
6. If Joelle Johnson and Akio Shin sang their songs one right after the other, how
much total time would their songs last all together?
1
5 8 minutes

7. It’s your turn to write a song! You must write a song that is longer than Joelle
Johnson’s song, but shorter than Naomi Mahones’ song. You also must spend less
time than Ty O’Reilly at the recording studio, but more time than Akio Shin.
Complete your entry to the songwriting competition on the card below using these
criteria!
Songwriter:

Song Name: Answers will vary

Song Length:

Time spent at the

recording studio: Page 18
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 3: Scientist
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3,
4.NF.B.4

Experiment Examples
Answer the following questions about possible situations where a scientist
would use fractions. Draw a model on a separate sheet of paper to
represent each problem.
1. A marine biologist (a type of scientist who studies ocean animals) was measuring the
2
length of three coral that she found on the sea floor. The blue coral was foot long.
4
3 4
The pink coral was foot long. The white coral was foot long. Put the three coral in
8 6
order from shortest to longest.

Pink coral, blue coral, white coral (encourage students to look at ½ foot as a
benchmark fraction)

2. A botanist (a scientist who studies plants) was watering his hibiscus plants. The
1
hibiscus plant needed gallon of water every day. How many gallons of water did the
3
botanist give the hibiscus plant after one week (7 days)?

1
7 x 1/3 = 7/3 or 2 3 gallon of water

3. A chemist was mixing a solid with two liquids. He was very careful because if he added
3
too much liquid there would be a major chemical reaction. He needed to add exactly
4
2
cup of blue liquid and 1 cup red liquid to his mixing container. How much total liquid
8
did he need to add to his mixing container?

2 cups

4
4. A scientist was testing the acidity of vinegar. She used 2 cup of vinegar on her
6
2
first trial and 1 cup of vinegar on her second trial. How much more vinegar did she
3
use on her first trial than on her second trial?

1 more cup

Page 20
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 3: Scientist
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.2

Fossil Find
A geologist is a type of scientist who studies the history of the earth.
They often study fossils and rocks/minerals to learn more about life of
the past. A geologist recently discovered 5 small fossils. Help the geologist
to put the fossils in order by answering questions about the length of the
fossils in the models below.
Prehistoric Dragonfly Fish Fossil
Leaf Fossil
Fossil

2
foot
8 5
foot
Insect Fossil 6
Crinoid Fossil
1
foot
2

6
foot 1
8 foot
3
1. Which fossil is the longest? Explain how you know.

Fish fossil

2. Which fossil is the shortest? Explain how you know.

Leaf fossil

3. Bonus challenge: Put the fossils in order from longest to shortest.

Fish, insect, dragonfly, crinoid, leaf

Page 21
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 3: Scientist
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.3c, 4.NF.A.3d

Fossil Find
A geologist and a paleontologist (a scientist who specifically studies
fossils), uncovered four bones from a prehistoric species of dinosaur.
Answer the following questions about the length of the bones they found.

Dinosaur Bone Data Chart

Bone Specimen Length
#1 3
8 4 feet
#2 7
9 8 feet
#3 2
7 4 feet
#4 3
8 8 feet

1. How much longer is the longest dinosaur bone specimen than the shortest?

7 4 3
9 − 7 = 2 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟
8 8 8
2. How much shorter is dinosaur bone specimen #3 than dinosaur bone specimen #4?

7
𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟
8
3. What is the combined length of dinosaur bone specimen #1 and dinosaur bone
specimen #3?
16 ¼ feet

4. Bonus Challenge: How many inches long is dinosaur bone specimen #3. There are 12
inches in one foot.
7 ½ feet x 12 inches per foot = 90 inches

Page 22
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 3: Scientist
Name: KEY
Botanist Brain Buster
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.4

A local greenhouse was having trouble keeping their plants alive. They hired a botanist
named Arian Donelson to work at their greenhouse. His job was to study the plants
to determine the effect of different amounts of water on each plant so he could
figure out the perfect amount of water for each plant. Arian recorded his findings in
the charts below. Use the charts to help Arian come to a conclusion about the
perfect amount of water for each plant.
Arian Donelson watered each plant for three weeks. He designed his experiment by
using the same amount of water every day for one week so he could see the
results of that amount of water over time. He kept the plants in the same spot
over the three weeks and they all got the same amount of sunlight.

Palm Tree Begonia Plant

Amount of Results Amount of Results
Water Used Water Used
Every Day For Every Day For
The Week The Week
1 Brown leaves, appears very 1 Flowers were drooping &
Quart dry even after watering Quart leaves were green but plant
3 2
stem was limp and plant
6 Leaves turned yellowish, soil kept falling over
Quart was very wet and developed
6 1 Flowers bloomed and plant
an odor
Quart stood up tall. Stem felt
3 Leaves remained green and 8
strong and healthy
Quart the plant looked and felt
6 3 Flower buds fell off the
very healthy & soil was
damp but not too wet Quart plant & roots became
4
exposed due to soil being
soaked
Tomato Plant
Amount of Water Used Every Day Results
For The Week
1 Tomatoes keep falling off the plant before turning
Quart red & leaves are brown and yellow.
3
2 No tomatoes are blooming & stem appears cracked
Quart and dry
4
3 Tomatoes are turning from green to red and leaves
Quart are healthy green & the stem stands tall and strong
8
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©Math Coach Connection
 Career 3: Scientist
Name: KEY
Botanist Brain Buster
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.4

Answer the following questions about Arian Donelson’s experiment at the greenhouse.
Use the charts from the previous page to support each answer.
1. Which plant needed the most water each day to stay healthy? Use the notes in Arian
Donelson’s chart to support your answer.

The Palm Tree needed 3/6 quart of water to stay healthy which was the most

2. Which plant needed the least amount of water each day to stay healthy? Use the notes
in Arian Donelson’s chart to support your answer.

The begonia only needed 1/8 quart which was the least

3. How much total water did the Begonia plant get during the second week (7 days) if it was
given the same amount of water each day? Explain how you can use multiplication to help
you find your answer.

1 7
𝑥 7 = 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
8 8

4. How much total water did the Tomato plant get during the second week (7 days) if it was
given the same amount of water each day?

1 7 1
𝑥 7 = = 3 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
2 2 2

5. Write an expression to show how much water the Palm Tree got during the three-week
trial. Then find the value of your expression.

1 1 2 3 𝟓
(7 x 1/3) + (7 x 1) + (7 x ½) = 2 3 + 7 + 3 2 = 2 6 + 7 + 3 6 = 𝟏𝟐 𝟔 quarts of water

6. Bonus Challenge: Out of all the plants, what was the least amount of water that Arian
Donelson used and what was the greatest amount of water that he used?

Least 1/8 quart of water on the begonia plant and most was 6/6 or 1 quart of water
on the palm tree Page 24
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 3: Scientist
Name: KEY
Distance Dilemma 4.NF.A.2

You are a physicist who has been hired to test the speed of different vehicles. A
physicist is a scientist who studies matter (the stuff that makes up all physical
objects) and the forces (pushes and pulls) that act on them. One of the exciting
parts of being a physicist is studying speed and distance of cars and other vehicles.
Your job is to determine which car can go the farthest distance by using the
information below and answering the following questions!
Type of Car Distance Travelled After One Acceleration

One
3
Sports Car mile acceleration
4 means the
driver put
their foot on
the gas pedal
5
Race Car mile for 5 seconds
and then took
6
it off and let
the car keep
moving as far
Basic Car 2
mile as it would go
3 before
stopping. The
same driver
was used for
Electric Car 1 each trial.
mile
4

On the number line below, plot a point to represent the distance travelled by each
type of car. You can use abbreviations for each type of car (for example S for
sports car, R for race car etc.). Then answer the questions on the following page.

0 miles E S R 1 mile
B

Page 25
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 3: Scientist
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.4c

Distance Dilemma
Answer the following questions as a physicist about the car
distances from the previous page.
4
1. Which cars travelled a distance greater than mile? Explain how you know.
8

Sports car, basic car, race car

2. As a scientist, you concluded that if you double the amount of force put on the car,
then you would expect the distance travelled to double as well. How far would you
expect each car to travel if you double the force (instead of one acceleration, the
driver holds their foot down on the gas pedal for 10 seconds—the equivalent of two
accelerations).
Sports Car 1 ½ mile
Race Car 1 2/3 mile
Basic Car 1 1/3 mile
Electric Car ½ mile

3. Bonus: If you tripled the force (three accelerations), then how much farther would
you expect the sports car to travel than the basic car? Explain your answer.

2 ¼ - 2 = ¼ mile farther

Page 26
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 4: Detective
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.A.2,

Do It Like a Detective!
4.NF.B.3

Answer the following questions about possible situations where a detective

would use fractions. Draw a model on a separate sheet of paper to
represent each problem.

4
1. A detective found a fingerprint at a crime scene. The fingerprint was inch long. Which
6
suspect’s fingerprint below is the same length as the fingerprint found at the crime scene
and could possibly be the guilty suspect?
Suspect B

Suspect Suspect B: Suspect C: Suspect C:

𝟏
𝟒
A: 𝟖 inch
𝟐
inch inch 𝟔
inch
𝟑 𝟒 𝟒
2. A detective was solving a mystery at the playground and found three clues. A purse was
3 3
found yard away from the playground, a cookie was found yard away from the
4 8
3
playground and a shoe was found yard away from the playground. How much farther
6
away from the playground was the purse found than the shoe?

¾ - ½ = ¼ yard farther away

3. A criminal has been going around and eating candy bars that don’t belong to her! The
detectives know it is the same criminal because every time the exact same amount of the
1
candy bar is missing. The detectives found three candy bars, each with of the candy bar
4
missing! How much total candy bar did the criminal eat?

3 x ¼ = ¾ of a candy bar
5
4. A detective was comparing the heights of two different suspects. The first suspect was 5
6
1
feet tall. The second suspect was 6 feet tall. How much taller was the second suspect
3
than the first suspect?

2 5 3 1
6 − 5 = 𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟
6 6 6 2
Page 28
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 4: Detective
Name: KEY
Crime Scene Conundrum
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2

Detective Jones and Detective Herrera are trying to solve a crime. Somebody
broke into a car and but left behind a few clues. Help the detectives place the clues
near the crime on the number line below and answer the following questions.

Bag: found Camera: Hat: found

5
Pen: found
1
Shoe: found
2 8 3 2
2
mile from found mile mile from mile from mile from
8 6 4
crime scene from crime crime scene crime scene crime scene
scene

Crime Scene Bag Camera & Shoe Hat 1 mile

(0 yards) pen

Using the number line template above, create a number line that shows a point to
represent where each item was found. You can use an abbreviation for each item, such
as a B for bag and C for camera etc.
1. Which two items were found at the exact same distance away from the crime scene?

Pen and camera

2. Which item was found farthest away from the crime scene?

hat

1
3. Which items were found less than 2
mile away from the crime scene?
Bag, camera and pen

1
4. The item found at exactly 2 mile away from the crime scene belongs to the criminal. Which
item belongs to the criminal?

Shoe
Page 29
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 4: Detective
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2
Missing Dog Madness
Jamie Lee lost her dog Corky and she needs help finding him! She hired a team of
detectives to investigate the mystery and help her figure out where Corky went.
Use the clues on this page to help answer the questions and solve the mystery!

CLUE #1
Corky’s favorite food is bacon. He
1
usually eats pound of bacon as a
3
special treat. CLUE #2
Corky is an average-sized poodle. He
4
is yard long.
6

CLUE #3
Corky loves to play fetch! He can
2
fetch a ball up to mile away!
6 CLUE #4
Corky’s favorite thing to do on a
hot day is go swimming! He can
2
swim mile by himself!
4

CLUE #5
Corky has a very loud bark! Jamie
Lee’s neighbors claim that his bark
5
can be heard up to mile away! CLUE #6
8
Corky can jump very high! He can
6
jump foot into the air!
8

Page 30
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 4: Detective
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2,

Missing Dog Madness 4.NF.B.3d

Great news! The detectives found three poodles that they think could be Corky! Use
the clues from the previous page to help the detectives figure out which dog is Corky!

Use the table below to determine which poodle is Corky! At the bottom of each
column, write which poodles match with Corky’s information from the clues on the
previous page.
Amt. of Length Fetch Swim Bark Jump
bacon Distance Distance Distance Height
he/she
eats as a
treat
Poodle 3 2 2 4 5 2
pound yard mile mile mile foot
#1 6 3 4 8 6 4
Poodle 1 6 1 3 3 6
#2
pound yard mile mile mile foot
3 6 6 6 4 6
Poodle 2 2 1 1 5 3
#3
pound yard mile mile mile foot
6 3 3 2 8 4
Which #1 and #2 All #3 #3
poodles #2 and #3 #3 poodles
match
Corky?

1. Which poodle is the longest?

Poodle #2

2. Which poodle’s bark can be heard the farthest?

Poodle #1

3. Based on the clues and the table, which poodle is Corky?

Poodle #3

Page 31
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 4: Detective
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2,

Missing Dog Madness 4.NF.B.3d

Great news! The detectives found three poodles that they think could be Corky! Use
the clues from the previous page to help the detectives figure out which dog is Corky!

Other dog owners might be looking for the other two poodles. Use the chart below to
compare the information about each poodle that was found.
Amt. of Length Fetch Swim Bark Jump
bacon Distance Distance Distance Height
he/she
eats as a
treat
Poodle 3 2 2 4 5 2
pound yard mile mile mile foot
#1 6 3 4 8 6 4
Poodle 1 6 1 3 3 6
#2
pound yard mile mile mile foot
3 6 6 6 4 6
Poodle 2 2 1 1 5 3
#3
pound yard mile mile mile foot
6 3 3 2 8 4

4. How much more bacon does Poodle #1 eat as a treat than Poodle #2?

1/6 pound more

5. How much higher can Poodle #2 jump than Poodle #3?

¼ foot

6. How much farther can the poodle that fetches the farthest distance
fetch, than the poodle that fetches the shortest distance?

2/6 or 1/3 of a mile farther

Page 32
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 4: Detective
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2,

Suspect Scenarios 4.NF.B.3, 4.NF.B.4

You are the lead detective on a very important case! You need to help determine
which suspect is guilty of the crime! Read the suspect case files below and answer
the following questions to help solve the crime!

Suspect Footprint Hair Fingerprint Height

Name Length Length Length
Molly 5
foot
5 times as long 8
inch
1
5 6 feet
as Akin Arzola’s
Metola 6
hair
8

Cameron Twice as long as 1

foot
7
inch
5
5 feet
Delilah Doppler’s
Collins footprint
3 8 6

Shamari 5
foot
4
1 feet
6
inch
1
5 3 feet
Smith 8 6 8

Akin 3
foot
1
foot
2
inch
1
5 feet
Arzola 6 4 3 4

Omar 6
foot
1
foot
4
inch
3
5 feet
Ortega 6 6 4 3

Delilah 4
foot
4 times as long Twice as long as 3
5 4 feet
as Cameron Akin Arzola’s
Doppler 8
Collins’ hair fingerprint

1. Which suspect(s) have the longest footprint length?

Cameron and Omar—both are equal to one foot

2. How much longer is the suspect’s hair with the longest hair than the suspect’s hair with
the shortest hair?
𝟏
Shamari (1 ½) – Omar (1/6) = 1 2/6 or 𝟏 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓
𝟑

3. Which suspect has the smallest fingerprint?

Akin Arzola

Page 33
©Math Coach Connection
 Career 4: Detective
Name: KEY
4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2,

Suspect Scenarios 4.NF.B.3, 4.NF.B.4

Use the suspect information from the previous page and the clues below to help
determine which suspect is guilty of the crime!

1
1. The guilty suspect has a footprint length longer than 4 × foot. Which
8
suspects could possibly be guilty?
Longer than 4/8 or ½ are
Molly, Cameron, Shamari and Omar (the other two are equal two ½)

2. The guilty suspect does not have the longest hair. Which suspect can be
eliminated from the investigation?

Shamari

1
3. The guilty suspect has a fingerprint length that is shorter than 6 x inch
6
Which suspects could be guilty?

Shorter than 1 inch are Cameron and Shamari but Shamari has already
been eliminated

2
4. The guilty suspect’s hair length is equal to foot. Which suspect is guilty
6
of the crime?

Cameron Collins

Page 34
©Math Coach Connection