Theme Park Expressions 6.EE.B.6

This activity is a real-world problem that uses a context that student will enjoy. They will be using variables to create and analyze a theme parks attendance. Students will be given a theme park scenario with variables for such things as the employees, visitors to the park, admissions cost and days of operation.  For example, F could be the # of female employees and E for the # of male employees. The students will collect and analyze the data to determine how the park is doing financially and figure out which rides are the most efficient. They must develop math expressions to save a lot of time and energy. They will use the variables to write expressions for: 1.) The total number of people visiting the park on a given day. 2.) The total number of people in the park on a given day. 3.) The amount of money the amusement park collects from tickets on a given day if all visitors pay for a single-day pass for their respective age groups. 4.) The number of people who ride roller coasters if 3/5 of all visitors ride roller coasters on a given day. 5.) The number of visitors over age 18 who ride roller coasters during the park’s season if 1/4 of all visitors ride roller coasters on a given day.

To extend this activity students could write up a proposal about building an additional roller coaster. Students will need to use the data to select the most important variables and expressions the owners should consider to make their decision.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.EE.B.6
Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

CCSS.Math.Practice.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.