Who Put All the 3s, Es, and Ws in Here?

A WebQuest for 6th+ Grade Math Students in support of

their learning relationships between fractions, ratios, and percentages.

Created by

 

Rocky Harvey

Pat Neff Middle School

Introduction
The Task
The Process
Student Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
Credits & References
Teacher Junk Drawer
WebQuests

e006831@nisd.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Wilhelm Fitzsugargruben was recently hired by Mars Candy Company to sort candies into individual packages prior to distribution. Fitzsugargruben's Quality Control supervisor noticed that Wilhelm had separated several M&M candies into a tray marked for recycling. When asked about this, Wilhelm remarked that many of the candies had erroneously been stamped with Ws, Es, and 3s rather than the trademark Ms. As a result, the number of specific colors of candies prescribed by the company may have been jeopardized.

 

Mars™ Candy Company officials are concerned that information they have posted on-line would be incorrect if Fitzsugargruben's over-indulgent conscientiousness is not corrected by Quality Control personnel.

               

Introduction
The Task
The Process
Student Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
Credits & References
Teacher Resources

 

 

 

 

 

The Task

Your task, as an Expert Quality Control Panel, is to determine whether a significant number of randomly selected packages of M&Ms have color percentages other than that outlined by company officials.

 

It seems that Wilhelm had also wrongly assumed that each color was represented about equally in each packet of M&Ms.

 

You need to determine whether Wilhelm Fitzsugargruben has unwittingly put the wrong mix of

M&Ms in randomly selected packages of candy.
Introduction
The Task
The Process
Student Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
Credits & References
Teacher Resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Process

M&M officials have gone to great lengths to ensure quality assurance in each of their products. Every packet of M&M candies is meticulously checked for a prescribed number of each color some colors have more pieces than others in the multi-color packs.

 

The steps you must take in determining whether Wilhem Fitzsugargruben inadvertently compromised those prescribed and publicized M&M measured amounts are listed here:

 

#1:   determine an accurate count of all candies in each randomly selected package

            #2:   find the ratio of each color to the total count in each package

            #3:   determine the fractional part of each color to the whole count in each package

            #4:   determine equivalent fractions with denominators of 100 for all fractions

            #5:   relate all fractions as decimals to the hundredth place rounding appropriately

#6:   convert all decimals to percentages

            #7:   compare calculated ratios, fractions, percentages with advertised distribution data

            #8:   graph the outcomes using a chart of your choosing to depict your data

            #9:   make a multi-media presentation to support your oral report on the project

            #10: explain the outcome of the project in a multi-paragraph (3 to 5 paragraphs) report

                    including a list of resources, title page, and at least one graphic image.

 

M&M WebQuest Quiz:

 

(1)    What is a ratio and in what three ways might one be expressed?

(2)    Which Web site did you use to define Ratio?

(3)    How does a Ratio differ from a Fraction?

(4)    Which Web site did you use to determine this difference?

(5)    What are the advertised numbers of colors of M&Ms in a given package of M&Ms?

(6)    What Web site did you use to determine these numbers?

(7)    Which type of graph did you use for your display? Why?

(8)    What is meant by multi-media presentation?

(9)    Which color in the Fun-Size Pack was not used for several years? Why? Why is it back?

(10) Where did you get that information?

(11) Which color in the Fun-Size Pack is the newest? When was it added?

(12) Where was that information found?

(13) Who once said, "There is no blue food!"

      (14) Who was this person? Could the argument still be made?

      (15) What Web site(s) is your information based on?

 
Introduction
The Task
The Process
Student Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
Credits & References
Teacher Resources

 

 

Resources

 

The following Internet Web sites may be useful for helping you resolve the multi-step task and quiz items:

 

http://www.mms.com/

http://us.mms.com/us/legal/sitemap.jsp

http://us.mms.com/us/about/products/milkchocolate/

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75acarlin2.phtml

http://boulter.com/blog/2005/12/07/blue-food/

http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/18114

http://www.aaamath.com/pct.html

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/

http://www.math.com/school/subject1/lessons/S1U1L7GL.html

http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/toc_vol4.html

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/percntof.htm

http://www.nutritiondata.com/data-entry.html

http://us.mms.com/us/about/history/story/#throughout

 

Students will not need to conduct independent searches on the Internet beyond the use of these Web sites.

 
Introduction
The Task
The Process
Student Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
Credits & References
Teacher Resources

 

Evaluation
Who Put All the 3s, Es, and Ws in Here? RUBRIC Grade Chart
M&M WebQuest Evaluation Rubric

Meets stated criteria

 

circle points earned

Met ALL criteria set forth in Task and Process Sections

10 9 8

Met at least 75% of the stated criteria

7 6 5 4

Met less than 50% of the stated criteria

3 2 1 0

Answered Questions in Quiz

 

circle points earned

All or most answered correctly

10 9 8

Answered many correctly

7 6 5 4

Answered few correctly

3 2 1 0

Created Accurate Chart for Presentation

circle points earned

Used Pie Chart with no obvious errors

10 9 8

Used Pie Chart with no more 3 errors

7 6 5 4

Used chart other than Pie Chart with more than 3 errors

3 2 1 0

Created Multi-Media Presentation

circle points earned

Used PowerPoint with Title page and Resource page

10 9 8

 

Used Flip Chart or Poster Display

7 6 5 4

 

Provided Handout or other simple form of display

3 2 1 0

Provided the Required Written Report

circle points earned

Used WORD to type Project Review

10 9 8

Used pen and ink to write report

7 6 5 4

Used pencil or did NOT do written report at all

3 2 1 0

Total Points

circle total grade-score/multiply by 2

 

50 49 48 47 46 45

44 43 42 41 40

35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20

15 14 13 12 11 10 9

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Grades will be based upon multiplying Total Points by two for a possible 100-points.
Comments

 

 

 

 
Introduction
Evaluation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Congratulations - you did it! 

By now you should have accomplished the following tasks: 

1.    Counted and sorted the pieces of candy in your packet.

2.    Determined the relationship of each piece to the whole number of pieces.

3.    Expressed each color of candy as a ratio, fraction, decimal, and percent.

4.    Related your findings to the advertised numbers found on-line.

5.    Reached a conclusion as to whether Wilhelm Fitzsugargruben made Mars Candies Company officials look bad.

6.    Graphed your data with appropriate labels.

7.    Written a 3-5 paragraph report of your findings.

8.    Created a multi-media presentation to support your report.

9.    Found the answers to the WebQuest Quiz and

10.   Turned in all your support documentation for a grade.

 

.....and, almost as importantly,... eaten the candy in your packet!

For additional fun, you might want to compare your data with other groups.

Would the results of such comparisons support your initial findings?

Does M&M Candies do a good job in ensuring numbers of candies are distributed as advertised?

What other information are you curious about?

 

How could you improve this WebQuest?

My intent in building this WebQuest was to reinforce 6th grade math students' awareness of ratio/proportions, fractions, decimals, and percentages. Sometimes simply changing numbers from one form to another in class does

not seem real enough to students... teachers either.

By exploring the colors in a random package of M&Ms, I hope you had fun and learned how numbers can be used

to solve real world problems.

You may want to explore other candies you enjoy Skittles, Necco Wafers, LifeSavers, JellyBeans!?

Is there really a blue food…?

 
Introduction
Evaluation

 

 

 

Credits & References

Dodge, B. (1998, 2006). Webquest page. Available at http://webquest.sdsu.edu .

M&M Candies (2006). Home page. Available at http://www.mms.com/ .

Microsoft ExCEL

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint
Introduction
Evaluation

 

 

 

Teacher Pages / Junk Drawer

This WebQuest is designed to allow students in a single 90-minute block period or two 45-minute traditional class periods to complete the tasks. Students with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities may require additional time.

 

All information needed to answer the M&M quiz and complete the data table is contained in one or more of the Web sites listed on the Resource Page. No other searching is required.

 

The author recommends the Fun-size package of M&Ms for two reasons:

(1) the name implies something other than work, and

(2) the numbers match well for making percentages (multiply by 5 to get parts of 100).

 

M&Ms Fun size package (as advertised):

 

Color
Number in Packet
Ratio: Part - to - Whole
Fraction
Percent
Orange 
5 
5 / 20 
1 / 4 
25%
Red 
2 
2 / 20 
1 / 10
10%
Brown
2
2 / 20 
1 / 10
10%
Blue
4
4 / 20 
1 / 5
20%
Yellow
3
3 / 20 
3 / 20
15%
Green
4
4 / 20 
1 / 5
20%
Total 
20
20 / 20
1 / 1
100%

PowerPoint

Left CLICK on image to view example of PowerPoint
Introduction
The Task
The Process
Student Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
Credits & References
Webquest Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on Listed Resource Web sites:

 

http://www.mms.com/ .

            Home Page for M&M candies; complete with sound and animations. Students will find this entertaining and may lose site of their quest here.

 

http://us.mms.com/us/legal/sitemap.jsp

            M&M candies site map easy place for students to get lost.

 

http://us.mms.com/us/about/products/milkchocolate/

            This is the information students are seeking. How does your bag differ from the mfc statement of content percentages?

 

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75acarlin2.phtml

            Paragraph three is George Carlin's query about why is there no blue food? Does his question still hold up since the introduction of blue M&Ms? Are M&Ms considered food?

 

http://boulter.com/blog/2005/12/07/blue-food/

            More notes on existence or non-existence of blue food.

 

http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/18114

            Another view of food that is blue.

 

http://www.aaamath.com/pct.html

            Percents and Ratios: how to compute and compare.

 

http://www.math.com/school/subject1/lessons/S1U1L7GL.html

            Reinforcement of Percent as Parts of 100.

 

http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/toc_vol4.html

            Lots of examples and practice for ratio, fractions, decimals, and percents.

 

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/percntof.htm

            How to figure percentages.

 

http://www.nutritiondata.com/data-entry.html

            Fill-in-the-blank conversion-machine for figuring nutritional value of food.

 

http://us.mms.com/us/about/history/story/#throughout

            Lots of fun Trivia Information about M&M candies.

 
Introduction
Evaluation