- Math Monster Story 1 - Meet the Math Monster
- Math Monster Story 2 - Feeding the Dragon
- Math Monster Story 3 - The Case of the Mixed Up Seeds
What Village?
You wake up with the sunrise feeling refreshed after yesterday's gardening work. You stroll through the castle looking for Marvin. It doesn't take long before you hear a clamoring coming from the kitchen. You enter the doorway of the kitchen and have to duck as an empty box flies over your head.
"Whoa! What's going on here?" you shout over all the noise.
"Inventory!" Marvin shouts back.
"Inventory for what?" you ask.
"Food and supplies for the castle. We're running low! Going to need to head to the village today."
"What village?" you ask, confused because you haven't seen any sign of a village since you arrived a few days ago.
"Vertex Village. Let's prepare for the hike with a little math!"
Warm up: Marvin says, "The village is 3 miles away. How many miles will the journey to the village and back be?"You're feeling great after those math questions and head outside. Marvin wants to bring Digit along for a little exercise and you give a thumbs-up! After putting Digit on his leash, the three of you set out together on a narrow path that leads around the back of the castle. You pass through a lovely woods and then the trees open up to the valley below. You can barely see the village in the distance as you begin walking down the windy mountain path.
Jog: "We'll know we're halfway to the village when we see a patch of wildflowers," Marvin explains. "How far is it from the castle to the wildflowers?"
Sprint: "The village is in a valley at 1500 feet above sea level. My castle is 2500 feet higher than that. How many feet above sea level is my castle?" Marvin asks.
Vertex Village
You arrive in Vertex Village around noon, the warm sun casting barely a shadow anywhere. Marvin leads you through the streets bustling with monsters and dragons of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Although everyone looks quite different from anything you have ever seen, they all have kind faces and you feel safe with Marvin.
You walk into what looks like a farmers market filled with all kinds of wonderful things: ripe fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs, warm just-baked bread, and even some interesting-looking cheeses.
Marvin says, "The garden we just planted won't be ready for a while so let's pick out some food for the week."
Warm up: "We need enough food to last a week. Is that more than 5 days? If so, how many more?"When you finish shopping for groceries, Marvin says, "Digit could use a new collar. He's growing so fast! Are you ready for a really tough problem?"
Jog: "Let's eat our fruits in this order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, then repeat" Marvin suggests. "We'll start on Sunday. What color fruit will we eat on Saturday?"
Sprint: "I eat half my weight in fruit every week. I weigh 280 pounds," Marvin states proudly. "How much fruit do I eat each day?"
Just For Fun: "If Digit's neck is 10 inches wide, how long does his new collar need to be?"
You've had a wonderful day hiking into the village, exploring all the shops, and seeing all the interesting new creatures. You, Marvin, and Digit head home to taste some of your purchases and get ready for another exciting day together!
Answers
What Village?WU: 6 miles
J: 1.5 miles
S: 4000 feet
Vector Village
WU: Yes, a week is 7 days which is 2 more than 5 days.
J: Orange
S: Half his weight is 140 pounds. Divide that by 7 days to get 20 pounds of fruit each day.
JFF: To find the circumference (distance around his neck) you need to multiply the diameter (width of his neck, which is 10 inches) by the number π (pi, which is about 3.14). That means his collar would need to be at least 31.4 inches long.
