Launch
Students will launch the balanced snack menu project by solving a cafeteria math mystery, testing early ideas with fraction and multiplication models, and sharing a quick team pitch that introduces the challenge, audience, and expectations for later research and revision.
Day 1
🧩 Balanced Bite Mystery Lab
Launch 45m
Research & Empathize
Students will gather first-hand evidence from the cafeteria staff member, practice the fraction and computation tools needed to understand serving rules, map user needs and constraints, and turn their findings into a validated How Might We design brief for the balanced snack menu.
Days 2 - 5
🧠 Fraction Tools for Snack Portions
Knowledge/Skill Building 40m
🎤 Cafeteria Staff Interview Notes
Community Experience 45m
📊 Serving Rules Empathy Map
Research 45m
✅ How Might We Menu Brief
Deliverable 45m
Prototype & Present
Students will turn cafeteria research into tested snack menu prototypes, use fraction and multiplication reasoning to justify serving choices, gather feedback from classmates and the cafeteria staff member, and revise toward a stakeholder-ready menu plan with clear visual and written math explanations.
Days 6 - 9
🧠 Menu Proof Mini-Lesson
Knowledge/Skill Building 35m
✏️ Three Snack Menu Sketches
Project Work 45m
🗣️ Prototype Feedback Carousel
Community Experience 55m
📋 Refined Menu Pitch Checkpoint
Assessment 45m
Showcase
Students will present their revised balanced snack menu poster and snack plan booklet to the cafeteria staff member and guests, lead an interactive Menu Math Pop-Up with portion challenges, and complete a final performance assessment by explaining and defending their fraction and multiplication choices with visuals, equations, and clear speaking.
Day 10
🍎 Menu Math Pop-Up Expo
Assessment 45m