In this open-ended real world problem, students will work in groups to determine a procedure for ranking playground equipment to help a school purchase new equipment for their playground. Students will need to find like denominators, make decisions based on a data table, and write a letter to the school providing evidence for their decisions. Students will need to trade off between the cost of the equipment, its safety rating and student opinions.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.