Activity Detail
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How Salty Is It?
 


Activity Overview

Students learn to solve a real-world problem involving salt water. Students will determine the amount of sea salt needed to turn an aquarium into a simulated salt-water environment. They also experiment with items and check their buoyancy in water with varying salt concentrations.

Before the Activity

  • See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
  • Print pages 16 - 22 from the attached PDF file for your class
  • Review the four steps of problem solving with the students

    		•

    		During the Activity

    		Distribute the pages to the class.

    Follow the activity procedures:
  • Read the problem statement
  • Use the given information to create a plan
  • Create a chart showing how much salt will be required to make each 5-gallon fish tank as salty as the ocean, Mono Lake, and Great Salt Lake
  • Set up the three 5-gallon fish tanks with calculated amounts of salt to simulate saltiness of the ocean, Mono Lake and Great Salt Lake
  • Test different items to find which items float, stay buoyant, or sink in the three tanks and record the results
  • Compare the results and write an explanation for the results


    • Converting volumes
  • Use the calculator to solve word problems involving the interconversion of ounces to liters and gallons to liters

    		After the Activity

  • Review student results
  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary

    		Other Downloads




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    Subject Area:
    Math : Elementary Math : Algebraic Thinking
    Math : Elementary Math : Measurement
    Math : Elementary Math : Probability, Statistics and Data Analysis
    Math : Middle Grades Math : Problem Solving
    Math : Middle Grades Math : Measurement
    Math : Middle Grades Math : Probability, Statistics and Data Analysis
    Math : Middle Grades Math : Algebraic Thinking

    Author:
    Texas Instruments

    Level:
    5-8, K-4

    Activity Time:
    90 Minutes

    Device:
    TI-15 Explorer™

    Apps:
     

    Software:
     

    Accessories:
     

    Other:
    This is Activity 3 from the EXPLORATIONS Book:
    A World of Mathematics: Activities for Grades 4, 5, and 6 Using the TI-15

    The following materials are required for this activity:

  • Chart paper
  • Marker
  • Three 5-gallon aquariums
  • Sea salt
  • Warm water
  • Various objects to float


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