Make It Real: States by the Numbers - CALIFORNIA

States by the Numbers is a real-world math adventure across the United States. Learn about your favorite state or states by delving into place values, rounding, estimation, fractions and percentages.

There are 50 workbooks in the series - one for each state. The data in each workbook is taken directly from the Census Bureau's 2008 Statistical Abstract of the United States.

Each workbook includes basic instruction and 80 practice problems. Additionally, the "What's the big idea?" pages give learners the opportunity to reflect on the things they've learned. Throughout the workbook series, we have consistently sought to address the content and process standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

There are multiple ways to use these real-world math activities in a teaching environment. Since the activities teach both mathematics and social studies, many teachers and families enjoy using the workbooks to reinforce mathematics across the curriculum. Although the activities may be effectively used in a formal teaching setting, they are designed specifically for the independent learner.


Mathematical Objectives

Place Value
- Identify the digit in the ones place of a number.
- Identify the digit in the tens place of a number.
- Identify the digit in the hundreds place of a number.
- Identify the digit in the thousands place of a number.
- Identify the digit in the ten thousands place of a number.
- Write a number in expanded form.


Rounding
- Round a whole number to the nearest ten.
- Round a whole number to the nearest hundred.
- Round a whole number to the nearest thousand.
- Round a whole number to the nearest ten thousand.
- Round a whole number to the nearest hundred thousand.
- Round a whole number to the nearest million.
- Given a number and a rounded value of the number, determine to what place value the number was rounded.
- Write a number in expanded form.


Estimation
- Estimate the sum of two numbers.
- Estimate the difference of two numbers.
- Estimate the product of two numbers.
- Estimate the quotient of two numbers.
- Round to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, or ten thousand.


Understanding Fractions and Percents
- Create a fraction to compare two quantities.
- Convert a fraction to a percent.
- Interpret the practical meaning of a decimal in a real world context.
- Find the stated percentage of a given quantity.
- Determine the percentage change in a quantity over time.
- Given an initial value and a percentage change, determine the number that results from changing the initial value by the given percent.
- Given two values, determine the percentage change needed to make the first value equal the second value.
- Determine a percent from a verbal description of real world context.