Kevin Luu

Students in Mrs. Doyle’s Math 7A just completed a project to supply her classroom with containers for all of her markers. The plan was to make the containers for her whiteboards. The problem was that she needed to know the perfect size and capacity of each container. It was up to the students to decide.

First, the students received a Google doc explaining the situation. Then, they had to decide if they wanted to work in a group of three or work alone.

The students started making a plan. There were many things to consider, such as what material will be used, how many markers it will be able to carry, and what will be the measurements.

Mrs. Doyle informed her students, “If the containers are too big, they will stick out and take up too much space.  If they are too small, they won’t hold enough markers. I need them just right!”

She asked if all marker brands are the same size?  Do they weigh the same? Does the volume of this container matter? How about the surface area? What materials would be the best to make/build a container?  What would be the cost of the materials needed? The marker container needs to last while being cost-effective.

The students had to consider every detail, just like in real life.