The 10 Kilogram Workout

Today the ASPIRE 5 math scholars participated in the 10 Kilogram Workout Challenge.  The objective of the lesson was to multiply decimals that use the thousandths place.  Inspired by a link to an infographic from Ian Byrd's math data page, the scholars first converted grams of energy from projectiles in ten different athletic tasks to kilograms.  Next, I presented the students with a table to help them plan a workout that required 10 kilograms of energy from the various projectiles.  After designing their workout plan, the scholars went outside and participated in baseball, tennis, soccer, hockey, and football activities.  When time was called, students calculated the projectile energy by multiplying the kilogram rates by their repetitions.  If they reached their goal of ten kilograms, they received an award.  (If they didn't, they were allowed to complete the ten kilograms at recess or over the weekend.)

I thought this was a successful activity for several reasons.  First, the lesson covered multiple standards, including estimation, metric conversion, and decimal multiplication and addition.  Everyone was engaged, and it allowed the scholars to solve real-world problems.  Next, it reinforced the concept of goal-setting, which is an important campus and district initiative the scholars have been working on all year.  In addition, the open-ended nature of the workout design increased student choice and differentiation, as workouts with more variety resulted in more complex calculations.  Overall, I believe the students enjoyed the activity, and they demonstrated the ability to multiply decimals using the thousandths place.  A special thank you goes out to Coach Maupin for helping me gather the necessary equipment during a busy pep rally morning.  We couldn't have pulled it off without you!