Challenge your students to problem solve and communicate their thinking while applying math to questions related to National Banana Split Day!
Kindergaten – 2nd Grade:
Ask your students to color the image. Then use the image to answer each question
1. Each banana split needs 3 scoops of ice cream. How many scoops are needed to make 2 banana splits?
2. The ice cream parlor uses ½ of a banana for each banana split. How many banana splits can be made using only 3 bananas?
3. Each banana split has 3 scoops of ice cream. How many scoops of ice cream is needed for everyone in your class to have a banana split? Use words and numbers to support your answer.
3rd – 5th Grade:
1. Traditionally there is 1 scoop of vanilla, 1 scoop of chocolate and 1 scoop of strawberry ice cream in 1 banana split. A 1-gallon container of ice cream has 32 scoops. How many gallons of ice cream is needed to make 32 banana splits? Use words and numbers to support your answer.
2. It takes ½ of a banana to make 1 banana split. How many bananas are needed to make 32 banana splits? Use words and numbers to support your answer.
3. Each banana split has 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce. How many cups of chocolate sauce is needed to make 32 banana splits. Note: there are 16 tablespoons in 1 cup. Use words and numbers to support your answer.
6th – 8th Grade:
1. The cafeteria is making every 6th grade student a banana split to celebrate National Banana Split day! There are 112 6th grade students at the school. Each banana split requires 3 scoops of ice cream. A 1-gallon container has 32 scoops of ice cream. How many gallons of ice cream is needed for all 6th grade students to have a banana split? Justify your decision.
2. Traditionally a banana split has 1 scoop of vanilla, 1 scoop of chocolate, and 1 scoop of strawberry ice cream. Using only those three flavors, how many different banana split combinations could be made if you allow students to select their 3 scoops rather than only using the traditional combination? Note: Order of the ice cream does not make it a unique combination so vanilla, chocolate, vanilla is the same as vanilla, vanilla, chocolate. Justify your answer.
3. Wendy owns a small ice cream shop. It cost her a total of $2.50 to make each banana split and she sells them for $6.00 each. Wendy has profited $392 just from selling banana splits. How many banana splits did she sell? Justify your answer.
High School:
Table 1 provides a list of ingredients as well as the amount needed to make 1 banana split.
1. Write an equation to represent the number of tablespoons of strawberry compote (y) is needed to make (x) number of banana splits.
2. Tyler is hosting a banana split party for his friends. He expects 15 people to attend, including himself. The store has two options for chopped peanuts.
- Option 1: 4 oz bag of chopped peanuts for $4.00
- Option 2: 2.1 oz bag of chopped peanuts for $1.60
Which option is the better deal AND what is the total cost for Tyler to have enough chopped peanuts for his banana split party? NOTE: 1 tablespoon of chopped peanuts is equal to 0.28 oz. Justify your answer.
3. Traditionally a banana split contained 1 scoop each of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream. How does making a traditional banana split change the cost to purchase the amount of ice cream needed for Tyler’s party? Note 1-gallon of ice cream has about 32 scoops of ice cream. 1 gallon of ice cream cost $5.50 and a ½ gallon cost $3.00. Justify your answer.