Integration of Math, Science, and Commerce: Paper Towel Testing

 Lately, my fourth graders have been put to work.  They have watched some incredibly entertaining commercials from Bounty to Brawny and begun to assess what makes a great paper towel. 

 "What is the task?" you ask.

Find the ultimate best paper towel brand.  Students have been using the scientific method to design their own experiments to prove mathematically that one paper towel brand is superior to the others.  

I have witnessed 10 year olds measuring water weight in grams, calculating averages, repeating trials, and drawing conclusions about absorbency.  Other students have placed heavy weights and objects on paper towels until they crashed down and broke to understand what role strength has in various brands.  

Finally, no paper towel evaluation would be complete without considering the cost per sheet for paper towels.

It appears that the school brand, Wausau, is not holding up on the strength and absorbency factors, but will it win due to cost? Stay tuned to find out the final conclusions from our paper towel stand off.