A Learning Activity: The Great Candy Comparison
Hey teaching friends! I was thinking about how quickly the fall seems to be going – for me anyway. And how the holidays seem to be rushing past!
I just realized that Halloween is coming in less than a week – ahhhh!
In our local area, it seems as though EVERYONE is now having trick or treat in multiple places on different nights.
I have no less than 6 different locations in my local area where my kids can go to grab some free candy – and that is just within our local community!
While my hubby may be cool with all that stash, I am not sure my waistline will be appreciative of it sitting in the cabinet through Christmas. Ha!
Perhaps some of your classroom parents feel the same and I have a fun solution for the week AFTER Halloween!
The Great Candy Comparison!
Candy Counting and Sorting Activities
Simply ask your students to bring in 2-3 handfuls of their Halloween candy stash.
If some forget, just run to the local big box store and grab some mix packs of leftover candy on clearance.
Run off this fun 8-page freebie front to back – or place under the doc cam if you need to save on paper – and have the students work through it using their candy.
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Here are the activities included in the handout:
1. Group your candy into color groups. Draw a picture of your groups below.
2. How many pieces of candy do you have?
3. Write that number in tally marks.
4. Write a number sentence that shows the total number of pieces you have.
5. Sort your candy into groups based on something OTHER than color.
6. Draw a picture of your groups and label them below.
7. Write a subtraction story problem using your candy. Draw a picture to show how you would get the answer.
8. Pick ONE piece of candy from your pile and draw it below. Now label it with the following words (if they are present): side, vertex, symmetry, rectangular prism, cylinder, angle, circumference, height, line segment, sphere.
9. Think of at least one more math word to add to your picture labels and add it.
10. Split your candy into 2 groups again: Candy that rolls and candy that does not roll. Draw a picture of your 2 groups below.
Why can some of the pieces roll and others can’t? Explain using math vocabulary words below.
Engaging Ways to Teach Math
After the project is done, you have 3 choices:
1 – Have the students eat one piece and then turn it over to you where you can use it until Christmas for student incentives.
2 – Have the students take it back home.
3 – Confiscate it for your own personal stash in your desk for those days when you really need something. lol.
Whatever you decide to do with it – I am sure the students will have fun using real-world objects to analyze geometry and grouping concepts!
Have fun and save a Snickers bar for me,
~Charity
