Elementary Math and the Newspaper

 

Adding and subtracting:

Search the ads for five telephone numbers. Add the numbers together.

 

Grandma has sent you a check for $200.00 to spend on school clothes. What will you buy? Make a list from newspaper ads showing item and price. How close will you come without going over $200.00? What change will you have after your spending spree?

 

Your parents have said you can redecorate your bedroom. You may purchase new curtains, bedding and a chair, but they want to see some comparison shopping. Using sale ads, find a total for the original price of the items and the sale price. What will your total be for the items? How much did you save?

 

Become the “Official Coupon Clipper” for your parents. Check their grocery list and clip the coupons that can be used. How much did you save them? Will they let you have half the amount saved? How much is that?

 

Your parents have agreed to let you get a pet. Using the classified and store ads, choose a pet and list and price all of the equipment it will need to live with you. If the pet was “free,” how much would it cost for the equipment?

 

Have students find tem items costing less than $1.00 that they would buy and use. What change will they receive from a $1.00 bill?

 

Have students find the court news on page A2. Which is a larger amount? Marriage licenses or divorces?

 

Page A2 lists bankruptcies that have been filed. Which one listed is the most in debt?

 

Which classified section has the most listings? Cars for sale, Trucks for sale, or Motorcycles for sale?

 

Animals are pictured throughout the newspaper – in ads, comics, and pictures. Which animal is pictured most often in today’s newspaper?

 

Check the entertainment pages for the movies being shown this weekend. Which movies have been seen by your students? Which movie has been seen by the largest number of boys? Which movie has been seen by the largest number of girls?