Grand Rapids, Michigan – Dori Boom

Erica and Yashoda

Our Problem takes place in our community of Ada and Forest Hills. The problem includes Ada Park, which is a great place where families spend evenings together and where kids ride their bikes to go on the great trails. Our math problem also mentions The Little Ted School – House, which is a country ice cream parlor where family and friends go to cool off after a long day of exercise.

The Ice Cream and Bike Logic Problem (8^th Grade)

Sarah, Anne, Lauren, Andrea and Leah are best friends. Everyday during the summer they ride their bikes to Ada Park. After a day of exercising, on their way home, the girls always stop at The Little Ted School – House, which is a country ice cream parlor. Using the given clues, tell what ice cream flavor each girl enjoys and what color her bike is.

1. Leah hates bubble gum ice cream.
2. Andrea loves mint ice cream.
3. Anne hates pink bikes.
4. Sarah likes either chocolate or strawberry ice cream.
5. Lauren hates green bikes.
6. Lea likes blue bikes.
7. Anne hates vanilla ice cream.
8. Andrea has a pink bike.
9. Sarah has either a green or yellow bike.
10. Lauren likes mint or strawberry ice cream.

Who likes which ice cream and which color bike?

Leah likes vanilla ice cream and has a blue bike.

Sarah likes chocolate ice cream and has a green bike.

Lauren likes strawberry ice cream and has a yellow bike.

Anne likes bubble gum ice cream and has a red bike.

Andrea likes mint ice cream and has a pink bike.

Math Topic/Math Standard - Numerical and algebraic operations and analytic thinking. Students learn analytic thinking best when it is studied in the context of applications.

Bryan Faber and Christopher Langholz

1. St. Mary’s hospital has an ambulance traveling area centered around the hospital. Using the data given, find the area of the traveling area for St. Mary’s hospital ambulances.
2. Using the formula for the area of a circle

Math Topic/Math Standard – Geometry and measurement concepts of position, direction and orientation.

Therese Fahner and Meg Chamberlin

1. An apple orchard owner needs to buy a new ladder. For safety reasons he must put the ladder 4 feet from the base of the tree. If his tallest tree is 16 feet tall, how long must the ladder be to

1. Reach the top of the tree?
2. Reach ¾ of the way up the tree?
3. Reach the middle of the tree?

1. Pathagorean theorem: grades 7-9
2. A.

Math Topic/Math Standard – Geometry and measurement – shape, shape proportions and shape relations help students to describe and make sense of the physical world and to solve real world problems.

Andrew Bradburn – Shana Kiriniemi – Kate Taylor – Cameron Young

Math Topic/Math Standard – Geometry and measurement – It is not always possible to measure quantity directly; in such cases students must use other indirect means. Measurement reflects the usefulness and practicality of mathematics and puts students in tough with the physical world.

Brienn Laughlin – Lindsay Mathews – Lauren Boland – Michelle Affholtes – Julie Hoogerhyde – Emily Lewis

In Grand Rapids, MI, there is a Steelcase office building, which is shaped like a pyramid. The base is a square with a side length of 298 ft. The height of the pyramid is 73 ft. The sides of the pyramid are covered in a shiny metal. How much metal was used to cover the sides of the pyramid?

To find the solution of this problem you need to know the Lateral Area of the pyramid.

Formula for lateral area: LA = ½ lp

L = Slant Height

P = Perimeter of Base

You know the height and can find half of the base, so you can use the Pythagorem Theory to find the slant height.

Pythagorem Theory –

Math Topic/Math Standard – Geometry & Measurement – Drawing & Constructing shapes in 2 & 3 dimensions are important ways to represent the world. It is not always possible to measure a quantity directly; in such cases students must use indirect means.

Matt Boshoven and Chris Chen

There is a new ballroom in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. A company needs to wallpaper the walls. The wallpaper is sold in rolls of 3 ft. by 20 ft. Each roll costs $50. How much must they spend on wallpaper in order to cover the room? Dimensions are showed below:

An example of how it can be solved is by finding the sides and adding them. Then dividing then and multiplying by the price.

Math Topic/Math Standard – Drawing and shape construction in 2 & 3 dimensions are important ways to represent the world. Concepts of position, direction and orientation enables students to describe the physical world and solve problems.

Erin Supri

A man wants to build a bridge across the Grand River. The bridge will have to span 100 ft. The bridge will be half a circle. It will be 8 ft. thick and 30 feet wide. How much material is needed to build the bridge?

The solution – Find out the area of a circle then minus what’s not the 8 ft. Then add the width and find the volume.

Math Topic/Math Standard – Geometry and measurement. Concepts of position, direction and orientation enables students to describe the physical world and solve problems.

Michelle Affholter – Lauren Boland – Julie Hoogerhyde – Emily Lewis – Lindsay Mathews – Brienn Laughlin

There was a terrible accident at Van Andel Arena. A hockey player fell unconscious after being hit with a hockey puck. Also on the same day there was an accident in the elevator of the Amway Grand Plaza. If both victims were flown by helicopter (ignore altitude, same type of helicopter), in a straight line (can be slanted), which victim will reach Spectrum Health first?

It would take longer for the victim at Van Andel Arena than the victim at Amway Grand to reach Spectrum Health.

An example of how this problem can be solved is by using the Distance Formula on the coordinate plane: d= To find the Distance between Spectrum Health and the Amway Grand you perform the (1) equation, with the coordinates (0,0) and (3,-12). Then to solve the distance between Spectrum Health and Van Andel Arena you perform the (2) equation, with the coordinates (0,0) and (3,-16).

Math Topic/Math Standard – Geometry and Measurement. Concepts of direction, orientation, relative position and symmetry enable students to describe objects relative to their surroundings. It is not always possible to measure a quantity directly; in such cases students must use indirect means.