Knowledge/Skill Building

🧮 Decimal Cost Builder

Content Expertise Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Effective Communication Collaboration Academic Mindset Self Directed Learning Reflection Core Content Essential Question Critique and Revision Submission Required

Using vendor price lists, printing add-on menus, and quantity tables, students practice combining sweatshirt base cost, graphic printing cost, and optional features with decimals. The teacher models one worked example, then students solve two team scenarios that match their chosen design direction. Students record totals with dollar signs, decimal points, and per-item labels on a cost planner they will use in their prototype work.

Plan day

Day 13

Duration

35 min

Grouping

Whole Class

Steps

5 steps

Lesson plan

5 steps · 35 min

#	What teachers do
1	Launch the task by posting the essential question and naming the goal: build accurate per-item sweatshirt costs that can support a smart fundraising price. Have students take out goal trackers and mark one math goal and one teamwork goal for today, such as lining up decimal points or checking a partner's work kindly. (5 min)
2	Model one worked example with the whole group using a vendor list, one printing add-on, and one optional feature. Think aloud about money notation, per-item labels, and how to choose between options based on quality, cost, and possible profit, while briefly defining vendor as a seller and add-on as an extra feature with extra cost. (7 min)
3	Place students in teams and give each team two cost scenarios connected to possible sweatshirt designs. Students use the cost planner to calculate base cost, added features, and total per item, checking each line with a partner before moving on and using sentence starters such as 'I added ___ because...' and 'We chose this option because...'. (12 min)
4	Pause for a critique-and-revise check where teams swap one completed scenario with another team. Students look for decimal placement, dollar signs, labels, and whether the cost choice seems affordable for fundraising, then give one warm comment and one suggestion before teams revise their planners. (6 min)
5	Bring the class together for quick team shares of one cost combination they think could work for their design direction. Students explain their math and decision-making, then return to goal trackers to mark progress on decimal accuracy, correct notation, and teamwork habits and write one next step for prototype work. (5 min)

Preparation (8 items)

Prepare vendor price lists with clear decimal prices for sweatshirt blanks, printing options, and optional features such as sleeve print, pocket print, or upgraded fabric.
Create and copy a cost planner with labeled spaces for base cost, add-ons, quantity option, total per item, notes about quality, and revision after feedback.
Prepare two team scenarios for each group that connect to likely sweatshirt design directions and include enough information for decimal addition, multiplication, and division.
Set up individual goal trackers with simple checkboxes or scales for decimal accuracy, money notation, explanation of thinking, and teamwork habits.
Write and display sentence starters for discussion and critique, such as 'We calculated...', 'Please check our decimal point in...', and 'A change we should make is...'.
Project or chart one worked example in advance and pre-identify where students may confuse place value, omit dollar signs, or forget per-item labels.
Organize calculators, pencils, highlighters, and clipboards or folders so teams can work quickly without losing time during transitions.
Prepare mixed-access supports for varying reading levels, including highlighted key numbers, simplified vendor sheets, visual icons for features, and optional challenge scenarios for students ready for more complexity.

Student-facing instructions

You will work with your team to build accurate sweatshirt costs using vendor price lists, printing menus, and your cost planner. First, you will set one math goal and one teamwork goal on your goal tracker. Then you will watch a worked example and solve two team scenarios by adding, multiplying, or dividing decimal costs for the sweatshirt, the graphic, and any extra features. Your materials are a vendor list, a cost planner, a pencil, and your goal tracker. Your task is to record each total with a dollar sign, decimal point, and per-item label, explain how you got your answer, and revise your work after feedback so your team has strong numbers ready for the next prototype activity.

Success criteria

You are successful when your team completes both cost scenarios on the planner, each calculation includes correct decimal placement and money notation, and every total is labeled as a per-item cost. You can explain how your team combined the costs and why the option fits your design direction and fundraising goal. You also revise at least one part of your planner after peer feedback and complete your goal tracker with a progress check and one next step.

Facilitator notes

Keep the pace tight so students move quickly from model to application; this is the first draft-day activity and it should feed directly into the next prototype sketch task. Since the total activity time is short, pre-group teams and have materials already at tables. Emphasize that the purpose is not only getting the right answer but choosing cost combinations that balance quality, cost, and profit. For students who need support, provide color-coded decimal place charts, partially completed planners, number lines for money, and vendor sheets with fewer choices. For students with stronger skills, add a challenge to compare two quantity options or estimate a selling price that might leave room for profit. Common pitfalls include misaligned decimals, forgetting to include one add-on, dropping the dollar sign, and writing totals without 'per sweatshirt' or another unit label. During peer critique, model kind and specific feedback and remind students to check both the math and whether the choice makes sense for customer demand and fundraising. If possible, connect briefly to the upcoming business-owner feedback by naming that clear cost logic will help them later when they pitch pricing ideas.

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