Practical Mathematics: Lesson 1 - Your Life in Numbers

How this works

1. You will receive this lesson link to your email

2. Any assignments should be sent as a reply email

Lesson Parts

1. The Icebreaker

2. The 'Aha!' Moment

3. The Practical Win

Part 1: The Icebreaker - "Your Life in a Number"

Welcome to Practical Mathematics! I'm so glad you're here. Before we dive in, let's get to know each other a bit. But instead of the usual, we're going to do it with a number. I want you to think of a number—any number, but not your age—that's important or relevant in your life right now. It could be big or small, a whole number or a decimal. At the end of this lesson, please share your name and your number, and briefly explain why you chose it.

I'll start. My name is Lee Bao, and my number is 90. That's the number of minutes it took me to create this lesson!

Assignment 1:

• Please share your name and a number that is significant in your life right now. It can be anything—big, small, a decimal—but please don't use your age!

• Here is an example of what your post could look like: "Hi everyone, my name is Sarah, and my number is 350. That's the oven temperature in Fahrenheit I need to use to bake my daughter's favorite cookies later today!"

Part 2: The "Aha!" Moment - The Math You Did Today

I bet that if I asked you, "Did you do any math today?" your first instinct might be to say "No, some or little." I want to show you that the real answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Assignment 2: Your Instructions;

• Grab a notebook, a piece of paper, or open a blank text document on your computer.

• Set a timer for 10 minutes.

• During that time, I want you to brainstorm and write down every single time you used numbers, measurement, scheduling, or mathematical logic from the moment you woke up until you started this lesson.

• Don't filter yourself! Big or small, write it down.

• If you get stuck, think about these prompts:

  • Did you hit the snooze button on your alarm? (Calculating time intervals)

  • Did you measure coffee grounds or water? (Ratios, volume)

  • Did you check the weather forecast? (Interpreting data, probability)

  • Did you glance at your car's gas gauge or your phone's battery percentage? (Estimation, fractions)

  • Did you buy anything, even a coffee? (Financial transaction)

  • Did you figure out what time you needed to leave the house to get somewhere on time? (Time management, subtraction)

Part 3: The Practical Win - Finding "The Better Buy"

Of all the categories people have problems with, Shopping & Finance is one where a little practical math can have a big impact. We're constantly told something is a "good deal" or a "value pack." How do we know for sure?

The secret is Unit Price. The unit price tells you how much an item costs per unit of measurement (like per ounce, per pound, per paper towel sheet). The lower the unit price, the better the deal.

The Formula: Unit Price = Quantity/Total Cost

Let's walk through an example: Imagine you're at the store buying olive oil. You see two options for the same brand:

1. Option A: A 16.9 oz bottle for $8.79.

2. Option B: A 25.4 oz bottle for $12.49.

The bigger bottle costs more money upfront, but is it a better value? Let's use the formula.

Option A Calculation: We take the total cost and divide by the quantity.
$8.79 \div 16.9oz = 0.520...
This means Option A costs about 52 cents per ounce.

Option B Calculation:
$12.49 \div 25.4oz = 0.491...
This means Option B costs about 49 cents per ounce.

The result: Even though it has a higher price tag, the larger bottle is the better buy because you get more for your money. You save 3 cents on every single ounce!

Now, it's your turn. Download the handout below. Complete the challenges, and then check your work against the answer key at the end of this lesson.

Final Assignment Test: The Unit Price Challenge

Instructions: For each pair, calculate the unit price for both options and circle the one that is the better buy. Use a calculator! The goal is to understand the concept, not to test your division skills.

1. Breakfast Cereal

   1. Option A: 12 oz box for $3.99

   2. Option B: 18.5 oz box for $4.89

2. Paper Towels

   1. Option A: 6-pack of rolls (total 350 sheets) for $9.49

   2. Option B: 8-pack of rolls (total 480 sheets) for $11.99

3. Coffee Beans

   1. Option A: 10.5 oz bag for $8.99

   2. Option B: 2.2 lb bag for $21.50 (Hint: 1 lb = 16 oz)

4. Challenge Question: Yogurt

   1. Option A: A pack of four 6-oz cups for $5.00

   2. Option B: A large 32-oz tub for $5.89