5 Out-of-the-box Ideas for Real World Math Activities

If you’ve been to my blog before, you know that I nerd out over real world applications on the regular. Can you blame me? There’s just so much to love about them and how they enhance our students’ learning. One of my favorite parts of my business is making creative and unique resources and helping other teachers create their own too! This blog post is your one stop shop for finding ideas for real world math applications.

My step-by-step guide to Project Based Assessments walks teachers through the ins and outs of application creation to upgrade any assignment. Although this is a great resource, there are still some challenges to get through with any new experience. The first challenge I have seen is coming up with an engaging topic to create a resource about. If you’ve had these same thoughts, then you’ve come to the right place! I’m about to share with you my TOP 5 topics for project based assessments.

design

Some of my best resources are based on design careers such as landscaping or interior design. This is something that I enjoy doing, which is why it was so easy for me to create. Choosing a topic that you find interesting definitely helps in the creation process. I also like to add a visual aspect to these types of projects where the students are actually creating the design rather than just theorizing about it. Here is my favorite design based application project to get you thinking…

business

There are many ways to incorporate business into the Algebra 1 or 2 curriculums. Pretty much any topic that uses equations or graphing can be linked to creating or sustaining a business. This topic can be used for group projects, assessments, or shorter application activities. Solving equations and systems of equations are the two concepts that I have been able to relate to business the easiest.

travel

I love to travel and many of our students do as well. Especially in the height of the pandemic (or even just the winter season), it is fun for students to think about where they could go and what they would want to do. So many students don’t have the opportunity to plan vacations or go on them at all. By relating travel to solving equations, whether they are linear or quadratic, we are giving our students a chance to think outside the box and enjoy the math that they are doing.

finance

I’m sure that at one point or another every math teacher has heard the question “when am I ever going to use this?”. Well, finance is one of the best ways to relate math to the real world. The students will, ideally, be able to understand money management by the time they graduate from high school. One of my favorite activities to give my students is the Understanding Simple Interest real world application (PSA: this is FREE in my TPT store!). It’s perfect for early finishers or sub plans and gets the students thinking about their future and setting financial goals.

Animals

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a student who hates animals. From household pets to wild animals, there is an infinite amount of possibilities for projects and application problems that can be related to the animal world. If we look at wild animals, students can measure speed, compare sizes, or analyze movements with the vertical motion model. When thinking about pets, there are a number of topics, such as how to afford a pet, how to take care of a pet, measuring and tracking what pets do.

My biggest suggestion for creating real world applications is to keep it simple. Take one small idea or concept and expand it into multiple questions and parts. This does not have to be daunting or overwhelming. I have some application problems that are one page and others that are six. Determine the end goal of your resource and figure out the best way to get there from what you have.

Do you have an idea for a real world activity, but don’t know where to start?

Download the Step-by-Step Guide to Project Based Assessments!