You may have heard your high schooler, like many others, complain about the relevance of the math they’re learning in school. At Mathnasium of Friendswood, we’re here to tell you four ways algebra facilitates your high schooler’s typical day this fall. Showing them how they already use algebra might help them see the value in what they’re learning. It will also build confidence that they’re already practicing some of the concepts they see in class regularly! Here are 4 ways that your teen is using algebra this fall!
1) Scheduling a school day and time management
As a teenager, and even more so as an adult, stacking responsibilities takes calculation. How much time should your teenager set aside for a morning routine? Algebra determines whether they have enough time to grab breakfast on the way to school or only a few minutes to scarf a bowl of cereal at home. Your high schooler might also calculate the “commute” from class to a friend’s locker to figure out how much time they have for socialization. Coming home, a teenager might need to calculate how much time they will have for homework if they watch a movie first. That calculation might lead them to tackle the homework first instead. Once your child becomes a college student, math in time management is even more important! Scheduling everything from courses to exercise requires careful calculation and juggling.
2) Recipes
As your child grows up, they’re gaining life skills in addition to their academic studies. When your child is learning how to cook, recipe conversions and other cooking-related calculations require the use of algebra! All steps for following a recipe seem to contain math of some sort: shopping for ingredients requires getting the right size packages and may even require unit conversion.
Halving or doubling a recipe requires algebra, and figuring out cook time and temperature could involve math. For example, cooking a turkey at Thanksgiving is a function of the weight of the bird and cook temperature. Even if your child isn’t interested in traditional recipes, they still use algebra when preparing food in the microwave. A larger volume of food requires more time to cook in the microwave.
3) Budgeting
Does your teenager like to grab a treat from Starbucks every morning, or maybe something after school? Using algebra, they can figure out quickly how much purchasing a daily treat costs on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis.
If your child has a part-time job that pays an hourly wage, algebra can crack the code on how much they can expect to take home over long periods. If they’re saving for a large item (or to buy holiday gifts), they’ll be able to figure out how long it will take to hit their goal AND how they can hit it sooner by picking up more hours, thanks to algebra.
Finally, algebra can help them understand what to expect for their net pay vs. their gross pay. When your high schooler wants to spend their hard-earned money, they might want to take advantage of big sales and discounts – calculating final cost or desired discount involves algebra, too!
4) Sports
The simple act of watching fall sports also surprisingly capitalizes on algebra knowledge! Football, for example, awards varying points values to different types of scoring. When your team is trying to come back in the fourth quarter, it’s helpful to know the exact combination of Field Goals, Touchdowns, and Extra Points that will get your team over the hump. For example, if your child is determined to improve from one soccer season to the next, algebra shows them via their statistics from year to year.
Knowing that algebra is ever-present in your child’s life helps solidify that as they build their skills in math, the practical possibilities are endless! At Mathnasium of Friendswood, our instructors recognize the importance of emphasizing how math relates to everyday life. Reach out to us today on our website or by calling (832) 569-5073 to check out our programs and how we can provide a realistic addition to your child’s life.
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