December (Grades 3-5)
Winter Solstice
Hannah has noticed that every day it gets darker earlier and earlier. Today, she noticed it was dark out at 4:30. She remembers that in the summer it didn’t get dark until 8:30. How much earlier does it get dark now than it did in the summer? Show how you know.
December 21 will be the shortest day of sunlight of the year. The sun will rise at 7:10 am and set at 4:15 pm. How long will the day be?
Sledding
Create a design for a sled built for speed. Think carefully about the shape of the sled and its size. Give the body of the sled a symmetrical shape, and label the dimensions of the sled. Then explain what makes your sled go fast!
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A group of five children are sharing one sled. Only two children can fit on the sled at the same time. Each child wants to sled down the hill at least three times. How many sled runs will it take for each child to have an equal turn on the sled? Use a math model or draw a picture to explain your reasoning.
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12 Children want to share 8 sleds. Sleds can fit 1, 2 or 3 children. Show three different ways they can share the sleds. Use a drawing and a math equation to explain.
Snowmen
The World’s Tallest Snowman was built in Bethel Maine and stood 113 feet 7 inches tall. This broke the former record held by Yamagata, Japan of 96 feet 7 inches.
How much taller was the Bethel snowman?
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Name something else that stands about 113 feet tall.
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Design and draw two snowmen: one that is symmetrical and one that is not. Provide evidence to show how you know your snowman is symmetrical.
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Make a class tally chart or line plot to show how many days of snow you predict we will have before spring. Use the data from the graph to compare and contrast the predictions of your class.