THE MATH TRAIL AT THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM

 

The Florida Aquarium is one of Tampa’s greatest attractions! Alexander Elementary is located in the heart of Tampa, FL. Students from our school visit the aquarium every year. The Aquarium is located in Downtown Tampa and is a familiar site from afar. Our math trail correlates with the Sunshine State Standards (SSS) here in Florida. Fifth graders from Alexander Elementary will be visiting the Aquarium to take part in the math trail during the 2005-2006 school year. Here are the tasks they will be participating in during the Math Trail at the Florida Aquarium!

                           

 

Task #1 Swimming Shapes

Location: Anywhere in the Aquarium

SSS: Geometry and Spatial Sense, standard 1

 

Find 5 polygons in the aquarium. Describe where you found them.

1. _____________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________

 

Find 5 solid figures in the aquarium. Describe where you found them.

1. _____________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________

 

Task #2 Aquarium Angles

Location: Center escalator.

SSS: Measurement, standard 1

a. Walk to the bottom of the escalator. Estimate the angle of the escalator leading to the second floor from the bottom.

Estimate__________________

 

b. Explain how you made your estimate. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Task #3 Rushing Waters

Location: Wetlands

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

All of Florida’s springs combined gush out about 8 billion gallons of water per day. How much water is coming out of the springs in 1 week? ________________________________________________

 

Explain your thinking. _____________________________________

 

 

 

Task #4 Otter Odds

Location: Wetlands

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

a. Otters are extinct in how many states? __________

 

b. Is this an odd or even number? ____________

 

c. Is this a prime or composite number? ___________

 

d. If it a composite number, what are it’s factors? _______________________________________________________

 

 

Task #5 Raindrops keep falling on my head!

Location: Wetlands

SSS: Measurement, standard 3

 

a.     Florida has an average rainfall of ______ inches of rainfall per year.

b.    How many inches is this over a 10-year period? ___________

c.     How many inches is this over a 25-year period? ___________

d.    How many feet would this be over 25 years? ______________

 

 

 

Task #6 How high?

SSS: Measurement, standard 3

Locations: Wetlands

Estimate the height of the atrium in meters. ____________________

 

Explain your thinking. _____________________________________

 

 

 

 

Task #7 Upside-down or right side up?

Location: Wetlands

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

Take a look at the “upside down” jellyfish. While somebody keeps time, count how many times 1 jellyfish pulses (opens and closes) in 1 minute.

# of pulses in 1 minute_______________

 

How many times does the jellyfish pulse in 1 hour? ______________

How many times does the jelly fish pulse in 24 hours? ____________

How many times does the jellyfish pulse in 1 week? ______________

 

 

 

Task #8 Big Beaches!

Location: Bays and Beaches

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

Florida’s Coastline is _______ miles long. If Georgia’s coastline is about half the size of this, about how long is Georgia’s coastline? _____________________________________________

 

 

Task #9 Esti-ray

Location: Bays and Beaches

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

Estimate the number of cow-nose rays in the bays and beaches tank. Estimate_______________

Explain your thinking. _____________________________________

 

 

Task #10 A giant leap

Location: Coral Reefs

SSS: Measurement, standard 3

 

Giant Barrel Sponges grow _______inch(es) each year.

How many inches will it grow in 5 years? ______________________

In 10 years? _____________________________________________

Show your problem solving.

 

 

Task #11 Almost full moon

Location: Coral Reefs

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

Moonjellies are _______% water.

What is this percentage in decimal form? ______________________

How about in fraction form? ________________________________

 

What percentage of the moonjelly is NOT water? ________________

What is this percentage in decimal form? ______________________

How about in fraction form? ________________________________

 

Task #12 A sticky situation

Location: Coral Reefs

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

The Mature Giant Octopus has a total of 2,240 suckers on all of its arms combined. How many suckers are on each arm? ___________

 

Explain your thinking and problem solving. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Task #13 Deep water or not?

Location: 1st floor touch tank

SSS: Number Sense-Concepts-Operations, standard 3

 

What is the volume of the 1st floor touch tank? Here are the dimensions.

L= 42 feet

W= 12 feet

H= 4 feet

 

Volume=

 

How many gallons of water do you think this tank can hold? _______

Explain your thinking. _____________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers and Solutions

 

Task #1

            Answers will vary.

 

Task #2

            Answers will vary, but should be around 30 degrees.

            You can compare the angle to a base angle like 90 degrees.

 

Task #3

            56 Billion gallons

            Multiply 8 billion x 7 (days in a week)

 

Task #4

            22 states

            even

            composite

            1,2,11,22

 

Task #5

            52 inches

            520 inches

            1,300 inches

            108.3 feet

 

Task #6

            Answers will vary.

            Can use a base measurement like 1 foot, or 1 meter

 

Task #7

            Answers will vary.

 

Task #8

            8,500 miles

            4,250 miles (8,500 divided by 2)

 

Task #9

            Answers will vary

 

Task #10

            ˝ inch

            2.5 inches

            Multiplied ˝ by 5

 

 

 

Task #11

            Answers will vary.

 

Task #12

            280

            Divide 2,241 by 280

 

Task #13

            2,016

            Answers will vary