Roll Up The Rim to Win

How many winning rims are there?

Tim Hortons Introduces a Special Edition Roll Up The Rim for Canada’s 150th Birthday!

As I was sipping on a hot Tim Horton’s Dark Roast coffee this morning during a meeting, I happened to notice a big “150” on my cup with that familiar yellow arrow we see when it is Roll Up The Rim to Win time here in Canada. Ironically, it was the second last day of the Canada 150 Math Challenge and I wasn’t set on what task I was going to share for the final day of the month long math initiative around Canada’s 150th Birthday. How could I not go with something related to roll up the rim?

Act 1: Spark Curiosity

Show your students this video.

Then, ask your students what they notice and what they wonder?

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.002 What Do You Notice What Do You Wonder?

Discuss these noticings and wonderings with their neighbours, then share out as a class. I like jotting these down on chart paper or on the whiteboard.

Then, show them this image:

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.003 Act 1, Scene 2

Ask them to add to their list of noticings and wonderings.

Some noticings and wonderings might include:

  • there are 20 cups
  • they look like they have been used or partially drank
  • how many people were at the meeting?
  • why are there different sizes?
  • and many more…

However, the question I’m really excited about is:

How many winning rims are there?

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.004 How Many Winning Rims are there?

Then ask them to make a prediction.

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.005 Make a Prediction

Act 2: Give Some Details

If you head to the Tim Horton’s Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 website, you’ll find all kinds of great details to run with.

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.007 Roll Up The Rim Website Graphic

On that site, you’ll find the Tim Hortons Roll Up The Rim to Win Canada 150 Contest Rules and Details which gives you 9 pages worth of details including:

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.008 Tim Hortons Contest Cup Distribution Details

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.009 Tim Hortons Prizes Available

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.010 Tim Hortons Prize Distribution

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.011 Tim Hortons Odds of Winning Roll Up The Rim

I’m sure you can see that there are a bunch of extension problems that you might want to consider with this one as well.

Now, have students update their predictions.

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.012 Update Your Prediction

Act 3: The Big Reveal

Show students this video.

and/or this image:

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task.014 Act 3 Screenshot of Winners and Losers

Sequel

Here’s another sample of cups from a second meeting a few days later. Man, we drink a lot of coffee and make a lot of garbage! 🙁

Act 1 Image:

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task - Sequel Act 1

Act 3 Image:

Roll Up The Rim Canada 150 3 Act Math Task - Sequel Act 3

Extension Questions

  • Did this sample beat the odds or not. How do you know?
  • Assume there was one Roll Up The Rim to Win cup for every Canadian and the odds stayed the same. How many Canadians should expect to win? How much money would that cost Tim Hortons?
  • How many coffees do you expect you’ll need to buy before you win your first prize?

Let me know in the comments what you did with this task and how it turned out!


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About Kyle Pearce

I’m Kyle Pearce and I am a former high school math teacher. I’m now the K-12 Mathematics Consultant with the Greater Essex County District School Board, where I uncover creative ways to spark curiosity and fuel sense making in mathematics. Read more.


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