Overview of the Lesson Students are engaged in a role playing activity where they assume the role of business executives who must decide which of three prototypes of paper towels would be the best buy for consumers. They use problem solving strategies to find the best value in terms of cost and then conduct experiments to test the absorbency of the three prototypes. In their testing procedures they find the surface area of the stain as they drop water into the center of a paper towel and then use a transparent grid to measure the area of the stain. Students then analyze the results of their absorbency test and the cost factors to determine which towel is the best value. Activity Sheets are located at the bottom of the .pdf Lesson Plan.
Procedure Begin the lesson with a discussion about television commercials.
Have students discuss the purpose of commercials. Have the students read the problem presented on the Activity Sheet concerning the comparison of three paper towel prototypes. Show the class three rolls of paper towels clearly labeled with an A, B, or C on each one. Ask students how they could determine which brand was the best buy. Students will work with a partner to discuss which towel is the best buy and which roll is the most expensive and least expensive.