# **Real-Life Examples Handbook: Teaching Inequalities in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools**
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
- Why Use Real-Life Examples?
- How to Integrate Them in Lessons
2. Economics & Budgeting
- Personal Finance
- Business Profit Margins
3. Agriculture & Food Security
- Crop Yields & Fertilizer Use
- Livestock Feeding Ratios
4. Health & Nutrition
- Balanced Diet Planning
- Medicine Dosages
5. Transport & Travel
- Fuel Consumption
- Bus Fare Calculations
6. Classroom Activities & Worksheets
- Group Projects
- Role-Playing Scenarios
---
1. Introduction
Why Use Real-Life Examples?
- Helps students connect math to everyday life.
- Makes inequalities more engaging and relatable.
- Prepares students for real-world problem-solving.
### How to Integrate Them in Lessons
- Start with a real-life scenario before introducing theory.
- Use group discussions to explore different solutions.
- Assign practical projects (e.g., budgeting exercises).
---
## 2. Economics & Budgeting
### Example 1: Personal Savings
Scenario:
*”Tinashe earns \$120 per month. If he spends \$80 on rent and wants to save at least \$20, how
much can he spend on food?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
120 - 80 - x ≥ 20 \implies x ≤ 20
\]
Classroom Activity:
- Give students different income/expense scenarios.
- Have them calculate maximum spending limits.
### Example 2: Business Pricing
Scenario:
*”A vendor buys tomatoes at \$5/kg and sells them at \$8/kg. To make a profit of at least \$30, how
many kg must she sell?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
(8 - 5)x ≥ 30 \implies x ≥ 10
\]
Activity:
- Students role-play as market traders calculating profits.
---
## 3. Agriculture & Food Security
### Example 1: Fertilizer Application
Scenario:
*”A maize farmer needs at least 50kg of fertilizer per hectare. If he has 300kg, how many hectares
can he fertilize?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
50x ≤ 300 \implies x ≤ 6
\]
Activity:
- Use real crop data from local farms.
- Students graph feasible land usage.
### Example 2: Chicken Feed
Scenario:
*”If one chicken eats 100g/day and you have 5kg of feed, how many days will it last for 10
chickens?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
100 \times 10 \times d ≤ 5000 \implies d ≤ 5
\]
Activity:
- Bring actual feed sacks to class for measurement practice.
---
## 4. Health & Nutrition
### Example 1: Balanced Diet
Scenario:
*”A child needs at least 60g of protein per day. If beans give 10g per serving, how many servings are
needed?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
10x ≥ 60 \implies x ≥ 6
\]
Activity:
- Students create a weekly meal plan using inequalities.
### Example 2: Medicine Dosage
Scenario:
*”A prescription says ‘Take no more than 4 pills in 24 hours.’ If taken every 6 hours, how many pills
per dose?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
4x ≤ 4 \implies x ≤ 1
\]
Activity:
- Simulate a clinic setup where students calculate safe dosages.
---
## 5. Transport & Travel
### Example 1: Fuel Efficiency
Scenario:
*”A car uses 7L/100km. If you have 35L, how far can you travel?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
7x ≤ 35 \implies x ≤ 500
\]
Activity:
- Students plan a road trip from Harare to Bulawayo (~440km).
### Example 2: Bus Fares
Scenario:
*”A bus charges \$2 per trip. If you have \$15, how many trips can you take?”*
Inequality Setup:
\[
2x ≤ 15 \implies x ≤ 7.5
\]
Activity:
- Students design a weekly transport budget.
---
## 6. Classroom Activities
### Activity 1: Market Day Project
- Students run a mock business with budget constraints.
- Must calculate costs, profits, and pricing using inequalities.
### Activity 2: Inequality Escape Room
- Solve inequality-based puzzles to “escape” the classroom.
- Example: *”Find x where 3x + 2 > 11 to unlock the next clue.”*
### Activity 3: Real-Life Scavenger Hunt
- Students find examples of inequalities in:
- Supermarket prices
- Electricity bills
- Mobile data plans
---
## Conclusion
This handbook provides practical, Zimbabwean-relevant examples to make inequalities engaging. By
linking math to economics, agriculture, health, and transport, students see its real-world value.
Next Steps:
1. Try one activity per week.
2. Customize scenarios using local data.
3. Share feedback with fellow teachers.
Would you like a printable worksheet version of these activities?
Let’s make inequalities meaningful and fun! 🌟📊
