Grocery Store

Objectives:
The students will be able to calculate the amount of money needed for groceries using multiplication, addition, and subtraction.

The students will be able to estimate the total amount of money needed for a particular grocery list.

The students will be able to make a food item price list using the average from class.

The students will be able to articulate what they have learned in their money journal.

Materials:
grocery price list, chance cards, scenario cards, pencils, paper, money journals, description and instructions for center.

Procedure:
Before the unit begins, the class should research the prices of certain food items at the grocery stores. All the students will be given a list of food items and will have to find the prices of each item at the grocery store. After they have researched and found out the prices, the students will then bring it to class. The students will take the average of the prices of each item and make a class price list. The teacher will create a description of the center, with the instructions and expectations of the center, to be laid at the center’s table. The teacher must also create scenario cards and chance cards for the students to choose at the center.  The teacher will make scenario cards that have situations to be solved. When the students arrive at the center, they will draw a scenario card and a chance card. The scenario card will have a story of a person and what their dilemma is. The chance card will have coupons for certain items or money off of the total purchase this will provide an opportunity for the student to save money.  Once the students have determined what they need to buy at the store, according to their scenario, they must calculate the total cost for their purchases after using the coupons and record their calculations in their money journal. .  Each student at the center must complete each of the given scenario cards. After the activity they will write what they have learned from this center in their money journal.

Scenario Cards:

1. I have two kids and I’m planning a lunch for them for five days. They will be eating the same thing for lunch everyday. They will have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apples, milk and cookies for lunch. How much will it cost me to make lunches for my kids for five days? How much do I need to buy?

2. I am planning to have a dinner party for five of my friends. I want to serve soup, salad, pasta, and desserts. How much will it cost me to make dinner for my friends? How much food will I need?

3. I am a poor college student. I need to buy food for one week for myself. I don’t have a lot of time to cook for myself so I want something that I can make quickly. I would like to eat 3 healthy meals a day. I only have $20.00 to spend at the grocery store. What should I buy to eat for a whole week?

Chance Cards:

1. Congratulations! You have a coupon for fifty-five cents off of bread and buy one gallon of milk and get one free.

2. Congratulations! You get five dollars off of your total purchase.

3. Congratulations! You have a coupon for one dollar off of a can of soup when you buy three.

4. Congratulations! You have a coupon for fifty cents off of peanut butter.

Example:

The student comes to the center and reads the instructions for the center. He or she will pick a card from the scenario card and a chance card. The student picks the scenario of the mother with two kids who is buying items for their lunch for the whole week. The student then draw a chance card and gets the first chance card. He or she will need to buy a bag of apples and ten cookies. The student will use the coupon for the loaf of bread and will get a gallon of milk free when they purchase one. The student will record all their math into the money journal and how much they paid when they checked out.

Assessment:
Informal assessment will be taking place throughout the lesson.  The teacher will visit all of the centers to assure that the students are on-task, participating, and following directions.  Formal assessment will take place within the journal entries.  The students’ calculations, estimations, and averages written in their money journals, will be checked for accuracy.