Grocery Store Algebric Thinking
Which lane do you choose?
This question sparked lots of debate in class! You had many suggestions for the factors to consider. Everyone who does the shopping in their house, even part of the time, has a personal strategy for making that decision. At the end of the unit, we'll revisit this question.
Click the button link below for an easier version of the question we posed. Be sure to use mental math to figure it out!
Click the button link below for an easier version of the question we posed. Be sure to use mental math to figure it out!
Mental Math. During class, we looked at some grocery displays with sale prices posted. We focused on mental math - no pencils or calculators!
What can you buy with $10.00?
How much for one lime?
What can you buy with $10.00?
How much for one lime?
Which is a better buy: onions for 99¢ per pound or $2.48 for 3 pounds?
How many Gatorades can I get with $5.00? Will I have change?
How many Gatorades can I get with $5.00? Will I have change?
During class, we graphed the cost of Hershey's bars that cost 75 cents each. Our y axis was the number of dollars spent on the candy, and the x axis was the number of Hershey's bars we could purchase. Here is a challenging question that compares the costs of different drink products at a grocery store as compared to a convenience store. Give it a try!
In class, we considered how grocery store employees might react to the following situation: The store union agreed that all employees would take a 25% pay decrease during an economic crisis in order to save jobs. When the crisis was over, they agreed to a 25% increase in pay. If you missed that class, think about that one! Is it the same thing?
This button link will bring you to a challenging question that will deepen your understanding of how percentages work. When you are finished, you may expand the document below to "full screen" to extend that practice. Be persistent!
This button link will bring you to a challenging question that will deepen your understanding of how percentages work. When you are finished, you may expand the document below to "full screen" to extend that practice. Be persistent!
Here's another percentage challenge. Remember, these are not necessarily quick word problems for which you can use a memorized procedure. Settle in for some problem solving! Use any skills at your disposal - draw a picture or give the situation some real numbers to solve it.
We practiced writing formulas for figuring out the answers to our questions in class. We started with a problem with specific numbers that we knew how to solve, then generalized it using letters (variables) instead of our numbers so that we would have a way that would work with any set of numbers. These challenges are the reverse; they starts with unknowns (variables) and ask you to figure out what value they have. Grab plenty of scrap paper and click one of the button links before to start working on the challenge. Stick with it!
Build up to algebraic thinking by exploring this balance tool using shapes of unknown weight. Challenge yourself to find the weight of each shape in one of six built-in sets or a random set.