More M & M's Chocolate
Candies Math

Author: Barbieri McGrath

Publisher/Date: Scholastic, 1998

ISBN: 0-439-27616-0

Grade Levels Recommended for Use: 6

Brief Summary: M&M characters lead students through a variety of activities using the candies to play with a variety of math skills.

Topics: bar graph; estimation; average; multiplication; division

Suggested Activities:

1. Hand out small bags of M&M candies to each student. Without touching the bags have students record on a chart an estimate of the number of M&Ms their bag. Have them record their estimate. Then have the students estimate the number of each color they have in their bag and record their estimates for each color. After recording their estimates, have them open their bags and record the actual amount of candies and number of each color on their chart. Finally, have a total for each color and the total in the bag. Don't let the students eat their candies at this time.

2. Create a bar graph and have each student record the number of each color in their bag. Color the bar graph. You may let the students eat their candy as they complete the bar graph for each color.

3. After the students have recorded their individual totals for their bag, have each student write their individual bag total on a sticky note and post it on a whole class bar graph on the chalkboard. As a whole class, find the average number of M&M in each bag.

4. Referring back to their individual bar graphs of the colors of candies in their bags, have the students use the information to convert the colors to a fractional representation.

5. Using the information from their individual and class created bar graphs have the students answer a series of questions related to the pictorial information. Examples include differences, greatest, least, average.

6. Another activity involves having students work in pairs and come and get one cup of candies from a large bowl. They do not eat the candies until the activity is finished. Have the students count the total candies and the number of each color of candy in their cup and write the results on a piece of paper. Then have the students write the number in a fractional representation for each color on their paper. They do this individually and then compare their results with their partner.

7. Another activity for another day. Give the students individual bags of candies or give them a cup of candy. Have the students divide the candies into different groups (ie. 2's, 3's, 4's etc.). Look for remainders and have the students create division problems for the different groups of candies.

8. Have the students create different multiplication arrays for their candies.