A Fiesta of Math on Cinco de Mayo, by Paula J. Maida

Your students will love exploring the connections between geometry and probability with this fun worksheet.

The flag of Mexico is designed with a green, white and red background. It contains an emblem in the center depicting an eagle with a snake in its mouth. The Mexican flag pictured below also has gridlines placed on it to allow you to count squares of size 1 unit by 1 unit (see sample next to flag). While answering the questions below, a square that contains more white than emblem should be counted as "mostly white" and a square that contains more emblem than white should be counted as "mostly emblem."

How many squares are on this flag altogether?

How many squares are green?

What fraction of the entire flag is green? Write another fraction equivalent to that.

How many squares are red? What fraction of the flag is red?

How many squares are white or mostly white? What fraction of the flag is that?

How many squares are emblem or mostly emblem? What fraction of the flag is that?

What is the width of the green section?

What is the perimeter of the green section?

What is the area of the green section?

What is the length of the flag?

What is the width of the flag?

What is the perimeter of the flag?

What is the area of the flag?

Answers:

1. 45

2. 15

3. 15/45; 1/3

4. 15; 15/45 = 1/3

5. 10; 10/45 = 2/9

6. 5; 5/45 = 1/9

7. 5 units

8. 3 units

9. 16 units

10. 15 square units

11. 5 units

12. 9 units

13. 28 units

14. 45 square units

For a printable version of the "A Fiesta of Math on Cinco de Mayo" worksheet click here. PDF 52KB

To read Paula J. Maida's related article "Cinco de Mayo Math" click here

Paula J. Maida teaches prospective teachers at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT.