Grade school students of all ages are interested in knowing how the study of math and science will benefit them after they graduate. In fact, they often question whether they will ever use math or science in real life. The fact is that both math and science skills prove useful in everyday situations. Furthermore, if a child wants to pursue a career in either science or math, a basic understanding of the subject matter is a necessity.
Math is a useful skill to have in real life. For instance, math skills are used to balance a family budget, keep track of the funds in a checkbook, estimate the cost of a purchase, and determine the accuracy of a bill. A person couldn’t measure the ingredients in a recipe, determine the mileage of a driving trip, or figure out the cost of a shirt that is on sale without the help of math. Grade school students have been known to use math skills to estimate how much allowance they will need to buy a particular clothing item, check their math homework problems, or even figure out how much money it would take to care for a pet guinea pig. In short, there are countless ways that a person of any age uses math skills in daily life.
A person also makes use of scientific knowledge in daily life. Some of the skills learned in basic science classes include making predictions, gathering evidence, and drawing conclusions. A person can use their basic science background to make important decisions in life. For instance, when a person is considering whether to buy a particular car he or she gathers evidence regarding whether the car is reliable. The person may also consider the durability of the car, how much gas it uses, and how long they plan to keep it. Weighing the evidence and coming to a conclusion about an issue is helped along by a system of logical thinking. The decision of what college to attend or which house to buy can also be made through a process of logical thinking. In other words, logical thinking is used in many everyday situations.
A thorough understanding of basic math skills can certainly benefit a young person who wants to pursue a career in math. Math teachers, computer programmers, statisticians, engineers, and meteorologists all use mathematics in their work. In addition, a person who owns a business needs solid math skills as well. A business owner must estimate taxes as well as keep track of expenses and profits. Alternatively, a person who is interested in a career in science should begin with a basic understanding of the subject and move onto further study. A doctor or physician, a veterinarian, a biologist, and a chemist are just a few of the occupations that require a background in science.
- Lesson Plan Demonstrating Practical Uses for Math: A detailed lesson plan featuring an activity that illustrates to students the usefulness of basic math.
- Experiments that Prove Math is Useful Everyday: Try these three experiments to find out whether math is useful in everyday situations.
- Math is Useful On and Off the Job: Read two letters from people who explain how they use math both at work and at home.
- A Selection of Careers that Involve Math: Find out about the variety of careers that require knowledge of math.
- A Variety of Practical Uses for Math: Discover a list of several everyday situations in which math is useful.
- Where do You Need Math, Square Roots, or Algebra?: An article detailing the importance of math its basic concepts.
- Why Do We Need to Learn Math: Several college instructors in the US answer the age old question on why learning math is necessary.
- Five Reasons to Learn Science: Checkout five convincing reasons for everyone to learn science.
- Exciting Careers in the Realm of Science: The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides profiles for several careers in the field of science.
- Reasons For Kids to Learn Science: A list of reasons submitted by kids regarding the importance of studying science.
- Science Careers to Consider: A gathering of careers in science for kids to consider.
- When Will I Ever Use This in Real Life: Lesson plan where students will gain an understanding of how core curriculum areas (English, math, and science) are relevant to “real life.”
