Cool Math Activities: 10 Ways to Use Shopping Catalogs for Learning

Shopping catalogs are a great math resource when it comes to teaching relief, as they form the basis for quick math thinking. Kids love them and they are very useful. First, they’re free, second, they’re easy to get, and third, they can be the basis of some cool math activities. I keep at least 50 or more catalogs in my bag of tricks.

I usually (but not always) ask before picking up about 30 catalogs from the shop window.

Catalogs are great for teaching math activities.

They can be used for a number of great math activities that will keep students actively involved.

Students will have to cut and paste. It can be a great math activity, but it involves some mess and some noise.

Maybe you need to tell the teacher next door. They may think you are having a relief teaching riot.

But for valuable learning, it’s worth it.

Sometimes when I teach relay classes, I let them know that we’re doing some really cool math stuff and I challenge them with some of the math activities below. It often becomes a race, especially with the boys.

At other relay teaching gigs, I write 5 or more on the board and let them go. Stop the activity when most of the children have finished and write another 5.

10 quick math sessions using catalogs.

  1. Buy 5 items and get the LEAST change of $50.
  2. Buy 10 items and get your total between $70 and $75. (You can modify the value to adapt it to the catalog of the little ones)
  3. Make two purchases, one of 10 items and another of 5 items. Totals must be within $5 of each other.
  4. Buy 5 items for your teacher. (Let them know what you like)
  5. Buy 5 non-food items and 5 foods that are within $1 of each other.
  6. Buy 6 items that will give you less than $10 change from $100.
  7. Find five items under $20 each and place them in ascending/descending order.
  8. Buy a couple of items that earn $2 and another pair that earn $3 and go up to $10 (or $20).
  9. Buy 3 items at a time, but the total must be $2, then $3, then $4, and so on.
  10. Buy 5 items. Buy another 5 items so that the total is half of your first purchase.

It is easier for the activity if all students have the same catalog to work from.

If the catalogs are not at the entrance/exit of the store, I ask at the service counter of the grocery store if I can take 30 or more.

The clerk looks at me like I’ve escaped from a mental institution, but she usually hands them over to me.

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