Problem Description Sheet:       Now That’s A Lot of Popcorn       

Introduction: It is good to be able to estimate. Sometimes we estimate how long or how wide a room is. Other times we estimate how much time it will take to finish a task. Other times we estimate the answer to an addition or multiplication question. We estimate how many objects can fit in a container or how many people are in a room. This problem gives us practice estimating.

Problem:

  1. Remove a tablespoon of popcorn kernels from a bag of popcorn kernels. Spread these on a piece of paper. Estimate and write down how many kernels you think are on the paper. Then count them. How close was your estimation?
     

  2. Figure out about how many popcorn kernels would fit in a 250 mL container (about one cup). Come up with a strategy to figure this out and test your strategy using the popcorn kernels and containers. Explain your strategy.
     
  3. How many popcorn kernels do you think are in a 1 kg bag of popcorn kernels? Explain how you know this.
     
  4. How much space (volume) do you think would be filled up if you popped all the kernels in a 1 kg bag of popcorn? Explain how you estimated this. Do you think all brands of popcorn would fill up the same amount of space? Explain your answer.

Materials: pencil, paper, calculator, 1 kg bag of popcorn kernels, tablespoon, measuring cup, popcorn popper (some parts of this problem might be best completed at home)

 

Topic(s):

Estimation, numbers and operations (N-23,24,26), measurement, critical and creative thinking, communication   

Activity Type:

  Group  Individual 

Assessment:

  Scale:                            

  Self  Peer  Teacher 

  Include in your portfolio?
  Yes  No  Optional 

  Toward your marks?
  Yes  No  Optional 

Hints: You do not have to count and pop all the popcorn to get good estimates for these questions.