Ever wonder how a food pantry works? It's more than just shelves stocked with food! In our latest episode of "How It's Math," we visited People In Need in Delaware County, Ohio, to uncover the surprising ways math keeps their operation running smoothly.
Counting, Estimating, and Problem-Solving
From the moment a donation comes in, to the time a family receives their groceries, math is at work. Food pantry staff and volunteers use math to:
Count and sort donations: Keeping track of inventory requires careful counting and sorting. How many cans of green beans are there? How many boxes of cereal? Accurate counting ensures everyone gets what they need.
Estimate needs: Food pantries serve a variety of families, from small to large. To make sure there's enough food for everyone, they use estimation skills to predict how much food will be needed each week.
Calculate food values: Did you know that donated food is assigned a dollar value? This helps food pantries track their resources and plan their budgets. They use multiplication to determine the total value of donations.
Solve real-world problems: From figuring out how many boxes fit on a shelf to determining how much food each family should receive, problem-solving is a key part of running a food pantry.
Making a Difference with Math
Our visit to People In Need showed us that math isn't just about numbers on a page – it's a powerful tool for helping others. By using math skills, food pantries can efficiently distribute resources and make a real difference in their communities.
Want to learn more?
Watch the full episode:
Visit People In Need: https://www.delawarepeopleinneed.org/
Learning Connections:
This video is a great way to connect math to real-world applications and show students how their skills can be used to make a positive impact. It's perfect for exploring topics like:
Multi-digit subtraction
Multiplying decimals by whole numbers
Writing and interpreting numerical expressions
This video is helpful in supporting to teach these math standards:
3.OA.D.8 - Solving word problems involving addition and subtraction.
4.NBT.B.4 - Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.
5.NBT.B.7 - Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths.
Let's make math fun and meaningful!
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