Mathematics Projects in Y7 and Y9

Year 7 have completed the first drafts of their applied maths project – optimal packaging and profit management for a new product.  Here is it is – how would you approach it?

You are set the task to come up with the packaging for a new product – a hard rainbow-coloured, chewy sweet.  The shape of a Chewsy is spherical with a one-centimetre diameter. They cost 0.05¢ each to make and the cardboard the packages will be made of is 0.01¢ per square centimetre.

Find the most cost effective packaging for twenty Chewsies, create a design and make it.  Propose a cost of a pack of Chewsies that will ensure people can afford them but will still allow you to make a profit.  Then present your idea to the other groups.

The company borrowed €1,000,000 to start up the company and has running costs of €500,000 per year.  How many packets at Chewsies would you need to sell each week to make a profit and pay back the loan over five years?

The company owners are willing to spend a little bit more to have a second type of packaging that is very attractive.  Make such a design – you choose the number of Chewsies per packet – make the design and work out the costs so you can present it all to the others.

What do you think the running costs of the company are made up of?

How could the special packages help increase profits?

Year 9 are working on ways to cross the Danube and on creating a useful method for any swimmer to work out how to swim in the right direction to get to where they want to go in fast moving water. Will we try it out?  Let’s see!

Having some sort of tangible outcome for their learning is a very important aspect of what we do at EISB.  The outcomes are growing bolder as our learners develop their independence and responsibility as holistic learners.