Grade
4
Math in Our World: Spring Snow
Bua joined the ski club this year and is eager to practice. There hasn’t been much snow yet, but she was interested in comparing the predicted snowfall for several ski resorts near her for the upcoming weekend.
This chart shows the predicted snowfall for this weekend at each location near Bua.
| City | Snowfall (inches) |
|---|---|
| Snow Hill | 0.2 |
| Skier's Landing | 0.5 |
| North Park | 1.5 |
| Ski Valley | 1.8 |
| Snowshoe Hills | 0.4 |
- What do you notice? What do you wonder?
- Use pictures, models, or numbers to show how the predicted snowfall amounts for the ski resorts are related.
- What mathematical questions can you ask about this situation? Answer all the questions you can!
- Record the data from the table on a decimal strip number line.
- Are there other kinds of models you can use to compare the totals?
- Write inequalities for the snowfall totals. Example: 0.2 < 0.5
- Show your work to someone else, and explain your thinking. Did they understand?
- Ask whether they have any other questions you can answer!
Have you ever heard a newscaster talk about record temperatures or record snowfall amounts? Lots of records are kept about weather.
With an adult, research some of the weather records for where you live.
How much rain or snow does your city get each year?
What is the most rain or snow that has ever fallen in one day?
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Reference for Educators
Sample problems and solutions