One way to research math in a real-life situation is to do a project on the stock market. Students can begin by picking a stock that interests them, such as Lego, Disney or Apple. Start by finding how much each stock share is worth. Calculate how much this would be if you wanted to purchase 15 shares. Over the next month, track the stock to see if it gains and loses money. Record these findings in a graph or chart. At the end of the project, calculate how much you would have made or lost if you had actually purchased the stock.
Using a digital camera, children can capture the different place they find "math." Children can begin this project by researching different types of geometric shapes. Later, investigate the local neighborhood, park or school, to find the geometry used to build it. After printing these pictures, identify the various shapes. Pro Teacher suggests children can extend this project by highlighting mathematical relationships, such as parallel or perpendicular lines. If a child doesn't have access to a camera, she can draw the scene she's focusing on and point out the shapes from there.
Children can begin this math research project by thinking of a survey question they'd like to answer. This can be about anything they choose, from types of cafeteria food kids enjoy to favorite colors. Whatever the category, there should be about five answers people can choose from. The youngster should then conduct the survey, asking at least 20 people in their class or on the playground. After the data is collected, they can then create graphs and charts to display the findings of the survey.
This research project will teach students about time while also solving some math problems. Decide a certain day and time, down to the second, that this project will be due. From there, students can calculate their exact age at that time, including in years, months, weeks, days, hours and even minutes. The youngsters might have to first check with their parents to see what time they were born. With this information, they can create a chart of their findings.