About
Are you looking for a way to reinforce flexible thinking, estimation, and reasoning in an engaging way that helps your students make connections? “Plan a Fundraising Campaign” is a real-life math project where students will complete nine different tasks, each one focusing on number sense skills in a real-life context. This project will help your students see how these concepts are used in real life.
Ideas for Use
Math projects are an ideal way to consolidate learning. I recommend using them as an engaging activity AFTER skills have been learned rather than during learning. You will likely find that engagement is very high and that your students ask to do more of these!
There are many ways to use math projects in your classroom. Some of the most popular are:
•a small-group or pairs activity
•a guided math activity to allow you to see where your students are struggling
•a fun, rewarding way to engage your early finishers
•a low-prep, easy-to-implement activity for a substitute teacher
You might choose to print specific tasks to use during math centers, or you might make a booklet out of all of the tasks and let your students choose which one to do when.
This resource is included in PDF format for printing and in Google Slides™️ format for digital learning. This makes it useable with Google Classroom™️.
What's Included?
Take a look at what you’ll find inside this math project:
TASK #1: FUNDRAISER BRAINSTORM
Your school is raising money for a new play structure, and you’re in charge of the fundraising! Let’s brainstorm some fundraising ideas and create a poster for one of the fundraisers.
TASK #2: ESTIMATION AND SUMMARY
Throughout this project, you will be figuring out the amount raised at different fundraisers. Use this page to keep track of the total. You will also assess the reasonableness of the fundraising goal.
Skills: estimation, reasoning, addition
TASK #3: CAR WASH
The first fundraiser that you’ll do is a car wash. It is planned for this Saturday and Sunday. You will have a team of 10 people working at the car wash.
Skills: estimation and reasoning, arrays (repeated addition or multiplication), addition or multiplication
TASK #4: MOVIE NIGHT
For movie night, you’ll be showing a movie at the local community center. You’ll also have snacks and drinks available!
Skills: tally chart, interpreting data, addition, arrays (repeated addition or multiplication), problem solving
TASK #5: PLANT SALE
The plant sale is your big spring fundraiser! You are getting closer to your goal!
Skills: estimation, addition or multiplication, problem solving
TASK #6: DESSERT NIGHT
Dessert Night is a fundraiser that you will put on in your school gym during parent teacher conferences. You’ll be asking parents to bring trays of dessert for your dessert night.
Skills: problem solving, multiplication, addition, strategic thinking
TASK #7: STREET BBQ
Today you’re setting up a BBQ on the main street in your town. You’ll be selling hamburgers and hot dogs during lunch time.
Skills: picture graph, data interpretation, repeated addition or multiplication, problem solving
TASK #8: DONATIONS
You also receive donations from people and businesses in the community. Let’s take a look at how much you receive.
Skills: line plot, addition or multiplication
TASK #9: SUMMARIZING
Your fundraising campaign has come to an end! Let’s take a look at how you did.
Skills: addition, reasoning, comparison, data interpretation
What Teachers Are Saying
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My kids absolutely love these projects. I love the variety of concepts used and the kids have no idea they naturally differentiate your students. Best thing ever." Donna F.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I used this for early finishers! They really enjoyed it. They loved all parts of the project and were very engaged. I would consider using it for my whole class next year!" Cathy N.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "All of your projects are well-loved by my students. There's a variety of skill practice and the lessons are so comprehensive." Audra R.