Mathland:

Mathland:
The Grocery Store


The grocery store is one of the best examples of a place
where math is real. Since trips to the grocery usually affect
everyone in the family, the following activities include
various levels of difficulty within the activity. Look for the
symbols to determine which parts of the activities are for
which ages:

for grades K-1

for grades 2 and 3

for grades 4 through 8.

All of these activities can take place over many visits to
the store.





Get Ready


Getting ready to go shopping can help parents and children
share their thinking strategies about math with one another.





What you'll need


Paper
Pencil
Coupons (if you use them)


What to do


1. Involve the family in making a list. List each item and
mark with checks or tallies to indicate the number needed.

2. Look at the price of an item you bought last week and
intend to buy this week. How much did it cost last week?
How much does it cost this week? Do you want to

Pay this week's price?

Wait until the price comes down?

Or, stock up if it is on sale?

3. Involve the group in deciding how much milk or juice will
be needed for a week. You might decide to estimate by
cups, explaining that 4 cups are equal to a quart and 4
quarts are a gallon.

4. If you collect coupons, organize them. Choose the coupons
that match the items on the grocery list. Discuss how much
money will be saved on various items by using coupons.











Practicing measurement and estimation will help improve
your children's ability to predict amounts with accuracy.


Scan It


Shopping is a part of life which really necessitates our
being mathematically informed to be good consumers.









What you'll need


Prices


What to do


1. Notice whether the grocery store has prices on the items
or whether the pricing is dependent on scanners.

2. If there are no prices on the items, notice the prices
listed on the shelves.

3. Assign each child the job of remembering the price of a
few items, particularly those listed on sale.

4. Being aware of the prices of items will help you verify
that the scanners are working properly and that the total
is accurate when you go to check out.













The ever increasing use of technology in the grocery store
puts the burden on you to beware. Your protection lies in
having strong mental math skills.


Weighing In


One fun place to try out estimation and measurement skills
in the grocery store is the produce section where everyone can
have the opportunity to participate.


What you'll need


The grocery scale



What to do


1. Help your child examine the scale. Explain that pounds are
divided into smaller parts called ounces and 16 ounces
equal a pound.

2. Gather the produce you are purchasing, and estimate the
weight of each item before weighing it.

3. Use sample questions to foster thinking about measurement
and estimation. You might Want to ask your child,



How much do you think 6 apples will weigh? More than a
pound, less than a pound, equal to a pound? How much do
the apples really weigh? Do they weigh more or less than
you predicted? How about the potatoes? Will 6 potatoes
weigh more or less than the apples? How much do potatoes
cost per pound? If they cost ___ cents per pound, what is
the total cost?

Some grocery stores have scales that tell all the answers
to these questions, so in that case, estimate using the
same procedure to make sure the machines are accurate.



Activities like this help children develop number sense
for weight and foster the ability to compare items when
measuring.