STUDENT CLASSROOM ACTIVITY - BOWLS AND CONES

BOWLS & CONES - On-Screen Math Activities (The Ice-Cream Problems)

• Bowls: There are six flavours of ice cream. If the ice cream is served in bowls that can hold up to six scoops, how many different ways can the ice cream be served?
• Cones: In a variation of the problem, the ice cream can be served in cones stacked up to

four scoops high. Given that the order of stacking matters, how many different cones could be served?

PROBLEM: The new pizza shop has been doing a lot of business. The owner thinks that it has been so hot this season that he would like to open up an ice cream shop next door.

He plans to start out with a small freezer and sell only six flavours of ice cream:

1. vanilla
2. chocolate
3. pistachio
4. boysenberry
5. cherry
6. butter pecan.

BOWLS: The cones that were ordered did not arrive in time for the grand opening so all the ice cream was served in bowls.

• How many choices for bowls of ice cream does the customer have?
• Find a way to convince each other that you have accounted for all possibilities.

CONES: The cones were delivered later in the week.

The owner soon discovered that people are fussy about the order in which the scoops are stacked. on the cone. One customer said “After all eating chocolate then vanilla is a different taste than eating vanilla then chocolate.”

The owner also quickly discovered that she couldn’t stack more than four scoops in a cone.

How many choices for ice cream cones does a customer have?

Find a way to convince each other that you have accounted for all possibilities.

Write down your justifications/proof, so that you can share, explain it and convince other students.

IN YOUR JOURNAL - WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED

• Think about what you have done today and write down anything interesting, new or surprising that you learnt.

• Did you change your mind about anything?
  • What did you used to think?
  • What do you think now?