RAMPING UP FOR MATH!

How many baskets can you score? Build an indoor ramp and put your counting skills to the test as you shoot for the top of the leader-board!

Materials

• Cardboard box(es)
• Scissors
• Packing Tape
• Broomstick
• Basket(s)
• Ball(s)

Directions:

• Using scissors, cut along all the seams of your box so that it is open
• Time to design your ramp! Remove sections of your box or arrange various pieces so they create a ramp which covers the length of your broom stick. Use tape to attach the pieces to one another if necessary
• Tape the broomstick to the back of your ramp so it is nice and sturdy
• Curl the bottom of your ramp upward and place a box beneath it (this can be a pre-existing box, or one that you create out of carboard) to create a scoop to help propel your balls into the air!
• Choose a space for your ramp. Make sure to check that you’ve picked somewhere safe! Experiment with different elevations for your ramp to see what works the best!
• Do a test to see how well your ramp works! Hold a ball up at the top, let go, and see how far it goes! Depending on how you have your ramp positioned, you may need to hold the top of the ramp as you let go of the ball to keep it standing up
• Place a basket near to where the ball landed. See how many balls you can get in the basket!
• If sinking baskets isn’t your thing, modify the challenges below to instead see how far you can make the ball travel!
• Undertake the challenges below to put your math skills to the test as you play!

How does this spark creative learning?

Kindergarten: From 0 to 30 in no time flat! Start at 0 and count how many balls you get in the basket. How many can you get in in a row? Can you make it all the way to 30?

Grade 1: Backwards, forwards, every which way! Pick a number to begin at and count up to 100 or down to 0 from that number as you score a multitude of baskets!

Grade 2:  Counting by 2s, 5s, 10s, we’ve got so many options! Choose a starting point and count up to 100 or down to 0 by 2s, 5s, or 10s as you sink baskets all day long! Ask a family member to stop you on any given number and tell them whether that number is even or odd!

Grade 3: Practicing counting by 3s and 4s will open all kinds of doors! Count by 3s starting at a multiple of 3 or count by 4s starting at a multiple of four. Keep counting every time you land a basket. Can you make it all the way to 100 – or beyond!?

Grade 4: Time to measure! Before you put your ramp to the test, figure out how large it is by determining its area! Use a ruler to help you measure and record the height and width of the pieces of cardboard you used to create your ramp. Then, multiply these two measurements to determine the area of your ramp!

Grade 5: Time to put on your hard hats and thinking caps! Ask a family member to give you the specifications for your ramp. They can provide a number which could serve as the total perimeter or area, or individual numbers for the length and width of your ramp. Then it’s up to you to build your ramp using these measurements!

Stay tuned for more resources to help spark kids’ creative learning!

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