Lab Description
Santa uses a Naughty and Nice list to choose the gift for each child. For nice children, they get the gift they most desire. For naughty children, they get a lump of coal.
Students are provided with a small list of Naughty and Nice children, and the material required for each gift. Students will use basic Math to calculate the quantity of each material required to build all the toys.
Then students are provided with a bigger list of 1000 children, making it almost impossible to do manual calculations. At this point, students are introduced to the need for spreadsheets and how spreadsheet formulas can help do this task easily. They will learn the basics of spreadsheets first and then the important functions COUNTIF and SUMPRODUCT, later they will apply these formulas to calculate the total quantity of each material required for 1000 gifts.
They will finally write a letter to Santa explaining how spreadsheet functions helped them.
Who this course is for
High School Students
Activities (42 Minutes)
In this introductory activity, students will work with a sample Google Sheets file containing a dataset of student names along with their Math, Science, and English scores. They will learn to apply fundamental spreadsheet formulas such as SUM, AVERAGE, and IF to perform calculations like total scores, average scores, and determining pass/fail status based on set criteria.
This activity is designed to familiarize students with using formulas to analyze and manipulate data effectively, providing a practical foundation for working with large datasets and understanding the basics of spreadsheet functionality.
Students will learn to use spreadsheet formulas like COUNTIF and SUMPRODUCT to analyze large datasets efficiently. They will develop skills to calculate totals based on specific criteria and perform weighted calculations using multiple variables, enabling them to automate repetitive tasks and ensure data accuracy in real-world scenarios.
This activity is an interactive simulation of Santa's workshop operations. Students will see how the materials purchased as per their calculations will be used to produce the gifts.