Did the phone company just deliver new phone books
to your door? Don't throw out the old ones -- ask students to bring them
to school. Those old phone books offer opportunities for lots of valuable
math practice; they're a great teaching tool! Included:
Links to additional math lessons and resources!
Whatever you do, don't throw away your old phone books! Those used directories
can be valuable teaching tools -- truly cost-effective math textbooks
for your students!
TEACHING MATH WITH THE PHONE BOOK: FIVE LESSONS
Collect a Class Set!
The next time your local phone company issues new telephone
directories, take the opportunity to collect a set of old ones
for your class! Have students bring in their old phone books,
or contact your local phone company and ask for a class set.
Store the books in the school supply closet -- right alongside
all the other textbooks.
This week, put your old phone books to new use with the five lessons listed
below. Click each of the five lesson headlines for a complete teaching resource.
(Approximate grade levels for each lesson appear in parentheses.)
Surname Survey
A study of data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals the most common family
last names in the United States. Encourage your students to use the data
to answer these questions: Does your local phone book reflect the list
of most common last names? Where does your surname appear on the Census
Bureau list? (Grades 3-12)
1-800-MATHFUN
What numbers and letters can your students combine to form creative 1-800
numbers for businesses in the local Yellow Pages? Invite them to design
posters featuring prominent phone numbers used to advertise fictitious
businesses. (Grades 3-12)
Yellow Pages Ad-dition
Help students determine the revenue generated by sample pages from the
Yellow Pages. Discuss with them the value of advertising a business in
this venue. (Grades 3-12)
Let Your Fingers Do the Estimating
How many phone listings can be found in the White Pages of the local telephone
directory? Nobody could possibly count them all, but your students can
estimate and find the average! (Grades 3-12)
Area Code Mathematics
Students solve math problems based on a U.S. area code map. (Grades 3-12)
MORE MATH LESSONS FROM EDUCATION WORLD
Have you seen these math articles in the Education World archives?
Phone Book Math