NCDPI – AIG Instructional Resource: Background Information
Resource Title: Party Planning
Subject Area/Grade Level (s): Math/3
Time Frame: 1-2 class periods
Common Core/Essential Standard Addressed:
Number and Operations in Base Ten
3.NBT.1 Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
3.NBT.2 Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the
relationship between addition and subtraction.
Mathematical Practices
1. Make sense of problems and preserver in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
6. Attend to precision.
Additional Standards Addressed: NA
Brief Description of Lesson/Task/Activity: In this activity, students are given the task of planning a birthday party for six guests with a budget of
$100. Through the party planning process, students will further develop their understanding of estimating appropriately in a real-life situation.
Type of Differentiation for AIGs (include all that apply):
Adaptations for AIGs:
Content
x Process
x Enrichment
Extension
Acceleration
x Product
Explanation of How Resource is Appropriate for AIGs: This task provides the students with the opportunity to solve a real-life problem of
working within the constraints of a budget. It promotes higher-level thinking while encouraging the students to solve the task with multiple
approaches and responses. Planning a party within a budget provides the students with a real-world situation that the students can relate to,
analyze, and define.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project
Needed Resources/Materials
•
Blackline master of “Party Planner Price List” for each student or per pair
Sources
•
ALEX Lesson Plans
TEACHER NOTES: *The focus of this lesson is on estimating and adding/subtracting rather than on money.
NCDPI AIG Curriculum Resource Outline
STAGE ONE: ENGAGE
Pose the question to the students: What are real-life situations in which estimating occurs? (planning a party, grocery shopping…etc.) Chart
their responses and discuss briefly. Guide the students to discussing the types of estimating that occurs in each of the situations they listed. For
example, some of the types of estimation could be estimating to the nearest 10, 100…etc.; front-end estimation (quick estimate method- ie. If
adding 456 + 342 + 233, you would only add the farthest left digits, 400 + 300 + 200); convenient/friendly numbers (choosing a number that’s
close to the original number to make it easier to work with- ie. The number 721- you might consider 700, 720, or 725 depending on the context).
Encourage students to consider what options are possible when a computation is needed and which technique is best suited for the task. In
most everyday situations, paper-and-pencil computations aren’t realistic.
Consider the following problem with the students: The following items cost $32, $54, and $19. Do I have enough money to purchase all of the
items if I have $100? Allow students to share their thoughts. What estimation strategies work best for this problem? Why?
STAGE TWO: ELABORATE
Pose the task: You have been given the opportunity to plan your own birthday party! You will plan a party for six guests with budget of $100.
You will need to select items off of the “Party Planner Price List” which contains supplies, food, beverages, and activities for the party. What
questions do you need to answer in order to plan the best party possible? (Example: What size cake will I need for 6 people?)
Review the list with the students to ensure they understand how to read the list and are clear on the items to be purchased. The students may
work independently or in pairs to create a party plan. The students should develop a party plan proposal to share with the class.
Possible questions during the process: What problems have you encountered? How can estimation assist in the planning process? Are you able
to stay within your budget and still offer all of the items that you’d like? How did you approach the planning process? (For example: Some
students may choose to start with the “must have” items on their lists and then work with the leftover amount. Some may start with the pricier
items first…etc.). It is important that the students reflect on the planning process throughout.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project
STAGE THREE: EVALUATE
The students will create a party plan proposal and present to the class. The party plan proposal should include all of the items being purchased
for the party, quantities for each item, and total per category. The students should also include a brief explanation of how/why they chose
those items.
Reflection Questions:
Did you stay within your budget? Did you use the entire $100? If not, how much money did you have leftover?
Did you have to adjust your initial decision? Why?
What mathematical operations were involved in your planning?
Where did you spend most of your money? Was this purposeful?
**Possible extension: Students could use Excel to create a spreadsheet of their proposal. Additionally, the students could even create a graph
to show the categories (supplies, food, beverage, activities) and the total cost in each category.
TEACHER NOTES: NA
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project
Party Planning
Math/Grade 3
Party Planner Price List
You will choose from the various supplies, foods, beverages, and activity options to plan the most enjoyable party for six
guests (within a budget of $100).
Supplies
Activity
Party hats
Streamers
Balloons
Candles – basic
– deluxe
Thank you notes
Napkins
plates – solid
– theme design
bowls – solid
– theme design
cups
– solid
– theme design
forks, spoons, knives
$2 for each guest
$1 per roll
$3 per dozen
$1 per dozen
$4 per dozen
$4 per dozen
$2
$1 per dozen
$2 per dozen
$1 per dozen
$2 per dozen
$1 per dozen
$2 per dozen
$3 for a set of ten
Price / 6 friends
Swimming pool
Roller Skating
Ice Skating
Laser Tag
Video Arcade (2 hrs.)
Movie at Theater
Movie at home (rental)
Paintball
$12
$21
$34
$39
$48
$32
$3
$51
Foods
Pizza
– brand name
– frozen
L-$15
M-$10
S-$8
L-$8
M-$6
S-$4
(L=12 pieces, M=8 pieces, S=4 pieces)
Hamburger
– fast food combo
$5
– homemade
$1
Chips – brand name
$4
– generic
$2
Cupcakes
– purchased
$6 per dozen
– homemade
$2 per two dozen
Brownies
– purchased
$4 per ½ dozen
– homemade
$2 per dozen
Birthday Cake – purchased
$24 (11” X 14”)
– homemade
$9 (11” x 14”)
Ice Cream
– brand name
$5
– generic
$2
Beverages
Punch
– store bought (1 gal)
– homemade
(1 gal)
Soft drinks
– brand name (2L)
– generic (2L)
$3
$2
$2
$1
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project