About
Are you looking for a way to reinforce number sense and measurement concepts in an engaging way that helps your students make connections? “Be a Farmer” is a real-life math project where students will complete thirteen different math-related tasks involving length, time, money, graphing, 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: THE CHICKEN COOP
You’ve got lots of chickens on your farm! Each morning, you go to the chicken coop to collect eggs. Let’s see how many you collect this week!
Skills: measurement using a bar graph, data interpretation
TASK#2: SELLING EGGS
Sometimes you sell your eggs to the neighbors. Let’s take a look at a few of your customers and what they order.
Skills: money, problem-solving
TASK #3: CHICKEN FEED
Chicken feed is available in several different sizes of bags.
Skills: weight (kilograms and pounds are included), money, problem-solving
TASK#4: ESTIMATING WEIGHTS
Estimate the weights of these objects that you’ll find on your farm.
Skills: estimation, weight (kilograms and pounds are included)
TASK#5: CHORE TIME
When you live on a farm you have get up early to do chores! Here are your tasks for the morning.
Skills: time
TASK #6: SQUARE AND ROUND BALES
Square bales are small and you can carry them to the animal pens. Round bales are big. You use your tractor to take them to the cattle and horse pens.
Skills: measurement using a tally chart, interpreting data
TASK #7: VET VISIT
You have a lot of animals on your farm, and need to make sure that they are all taken care of.
Skills: time, distance, problem-solving
TASK #8: WEATHER MATTERS
The weather is important when you’re a farmer! That’s why you’ve tracked the weather this month on a line plot! Let’s interpret the data.
Skills: line plot, data interpretation
TASK #9: SUN AND RAIN
Farmers need lots of sun and lots of rain for their crops to grow! This has been a rainy week!
Skills: rain gauge measurement (centimeters and inches included), thermometers
TASK #10: BUILDING NEW PENS
You will be building four new pens on your farm this year. To figure out the amount of fencing that you need, you’ll need to figure out the distance around each one.
Skills: distance (meters and feet included), perimeter
TASK #11: MOVING CATTLE TO PASTURE
It’s time to move the cattle to the pasture for summer. There are two possible routes for you to take to get the cattle from your farm to the pasture.
Skills: comparing routes, time
TASK #12: HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS
You offer horseback riding lessons on your farm. It’s a fun way to spend the summer!
Skills: calendar, picture graph, data interpretation
TASK #13: FARM PROBLEMS
Sometimes you run into problems on the farm. Let’s solve them!
Skills: distance, money, estimation, problem-solving
PLUS A BONUS WRITING ACTIVITY
What Teachers Are Saying
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This was a great way to add math to our Charlotte's web unit. Students were able to work both independently and with peers. They used the skills they've been learning to design something and solve problems." Sharon M.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Great educational resources for my second graders. This resource has made it possible to differentiate learning for all my students. I have used this resource multiple times now, and I will continue to use it! I love the fact that whatever I am teaching them, they have worksheets like this to support them." Reyna B.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This PBL covers so many of our math standards all in one! The students were engaged and had so much fun with this! Many could relate since we are in a rural farm community and they loved putting their math skills into real practice!" Taylor M.
