ZIP Code Math

Return to Fifty States, Five Lessons

Subjects Educational Technology Mathematics Arithmetic, Algebra Social Studies Geography

Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Brief Description

Students add or subtract to solve ZIP Code math word problems.

Objective Students

• use a ZIP Code resource (provided) to solve math word problems.
• perform addition and subtraction operations properly.

Keywords

abbreviation, city, code, equation, geography, math, office, post, state, word problem, ZIP

Materials Needed

• ZIP Code Math student work sheet
• ZIP Code resource (three options below)
• pencil

Lesson Plan

If you add Monticello, IL (Illinois) and Greenfield, IN (Indiana) together, you get 107,996. It's a simple matter of adding the ZIP Code for Monticello (61856) to the ZIP Code for Greenfield (46140). 61856 + 46140 = 107,996!

Provide students with copies of the ZIP Code Math work sheet and let them use ZIP Codes to figure sums and differences. (This lesson could be easily adapted for practice in multiplication and division too.) Answers appear in the Assessment section below.

ZIP Code Sources
To complete this activity, students will need access to a ZIP Code directory. Students can get ZIP Codes in any of the following ways:

• If students have computer access, they can simply type the name of a location into the United States Postal Service City, State, ZIP Code Associations page. Click on the Process button and the ZIP Code quickly appears.
• Students can use a print version of the USPS ZIP Code directory. Your post office may be able to provide a copy if your school office or library does not keep one on hand.
• Provide students with a list of the ZIP Codes used in this activity. Click ZIP Code Directory for a printable list of those locations and ZIP Codes.

Extension Activity
Have students use atlases or other resources to plot on a U.S. outline map the locations of all the cities and towns included in the ZIP Code Math problems.

Assessment

Students solve the majority of the problems correctly.
ANSWER KEY
1. 60457 + 38544 = 99,001
2. 94806 + 44425 = 139,231
3. 73742 - 11158 = 62,224
4. 63119 - 29036 = 34,083
EXTRA! (83837 + 01083) - 59008 = 25,912

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

MATHEMATICS: Number and Operations

• GRADES 3 - 5
  NM-NUM.3-5.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
  NM-NUM.3-5.2 Understand Meanings of Operations and How They Relate to One Another
  NM-NUM.3-5.3 Compute Fluently and Make Reasonable Estimates

• GRADES 6 - 8
  NM-NUM.6-8.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
  NM-NUM.6-8.2 Understand Meanings of Operations and How They Relate to One Another
  NM-NUM.6-8.3 Compute Fluently and Make Reasonable Estimates

• GRADES 9 - 12
  NM-NUM.9-12.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
  NM-NUM.9-12.2 Understand Meanings of Operations and How They Relate to One Another
  NM-NUM.9-12.3 Compute Fluently and Make Reasonable Estimates

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography

• GRADES K - 12
  NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial Terms
  NSS-G.K-12.2 Places and Regions

TECHNOLOGY

• GRADES K - 12
  NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts
  NT.K-12.5 Technology Research tools

See more geography lesson ideas on the Education World Geography page. Click to return to the Fifty States lesson plan page.