Engineering Practice: Apply Math Knowledge to Problem Solving
Engineers use mathematics to analyze data and explore and express relationships among variables.
“Round to the Nearest Tenth”
A group of upper elementary students calculate their findings from testing their parachute designs. They must figure out how to round the long numbers on their calculators to easily record and use their data to improve. Watch & Reflect:
Reflection Questions
The engineering challenge provided students with a context in which to practice the skill of finding averages. The teacher scaffolds her students by providing a calculator and asking them to round a long number to the nearest tenth. The rounding activity helps students practice Common Core Math standard, Math.Content.5.NBT.A.4: “Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.”
Using engineering as a context for math gives students a real-world application and provides additional practice with skills they are leaning in math.
Related Practices: Work Effectively in Teams, Use a Structured Problem-Solving Process
Featured Unit: Designing Parachutes