About
Are you looking for a way to reinforce math concepts in an engaging way that helps your students make connections? “Run a Pet Sitting Business” is a real-life math project where students will complete twelve different math-related tasks involving addition and subtraction, money, time, arrays, and more.
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
These activities can be used as a package, or in isolation. They work great as a math center, small-group lesson, early finisher activity, or partner activity.
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: BUSINESS IDEAS
You’ve decided to start a pet-sitting business! Let’s brainstorm some ideas!
TASK#2: PRICE LIST
You’ve got the price list made and are starting to get some bookings for this month! Let’s take a look at some of the bookings and figure out the total cost.
Skills: money, problem-solving
TASK #3: BUYING SUPPLIES
To get your business started, you’ll need to buy some supplies. It’s time to decide what you would like to buy.
Skills: money, addition
TASK#4: TO THE DOG PARK!
You’ll be taking two dogs to the dog park today. Let’s plan the walking route!
Skills: addition
TASK#5: PET FOOD
Let’s see how much pet food you will need for this month. Use the picture graph to help you.
Skills: picture graphs, data interpretation, problem-solving, addition
TASK #6: KENNEL DESIGNS
You are going to build three kennels in your garage. Let’s design them to be the perfect size!
Skills: square units, problem-solving, subtraction
TASK #7: TIME TO PLAN
Today you have three dogs coming. Let’s plan the day!
Skills: time
TASK #8: PUTTING UP POSTERS
To get more business, you’ll be putting up posters all over town. Let’s see how many you put up!
Skills: graphing and data interpretation (tally chart and bar graph)
TASK #9: JOKE TIME
You put some animal jokes by the pick-up area so that your customers can read them while they wait. Let’s figure out the answer to each joke.
Skills: addition, subtraction
TASK #10: SAVE, SPEND, GIVE
Each time you get paid, you divide the money between your three jars – save, spend, and give. Let’s count it up and decide what you use your spending money on!
Skills: money, addition, subtraction, tally charts
TASK #11: INVENTORY DAY
It’s important to keep an inventory of your supplies so that you always have enough. Let’s see what you have on hand.
Skills: arrays, addition, groups of
TASK #12: PROBLEM-SOLVING
When you run your own business, you always have problems to figure out!
Skills: problem-solving (money, patterns, addition, subtraction)
Testimonials
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "What a great activities that builds teamwork among students and give them real life situations to use and practice math! I want all of these!" Tammy R.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My students loved this resource! It gave them a real world purpose for the skills we have been learning. We used this as a fun culminating task at the end of the year and was also a great tool to see what they were still struggling on. Highly recommend." Laura H.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This has been a great resource to extend my students who are ready for more of a challenge. They've loved thinking through creating their own pet businesses!" Megan W.
