Students apply decimal operations in a real fundraising challenge by designing sweatshirts, calculating costs, setting selling prices, and estimating profit for a class trip. They work with a local merchandise business owner to study real pricing strategies, profit margins, and customer demand, then use peer critique circles and customer survey feedback to revise designs and pricing plans. Throughout the project, students track progress on math goals and teamwork habits, reflect on growth, and prepare pricing pitches for expert feedback and revision. The work builds toward a school Merch Market Showcase where students present sweatshirt samples, cost charts, and survey results to the community.

Students will use decimal operations to accurately calculate production costs, set selling prices, and predict profit for sweatshirt sales. They will analyze customer survey data, compare pricing options, and justify a pricing plan that balances quality, cost, and demand. Students will collaborate in design critique circles, revise their work using peer and business-owner feedback, and communicate their reasoning through pricing pitches and the Merch Market Showcase. They will also use individual goal trackers to reflect on growth in math understanding, teamwork habits, and next steps.

Students will create sweatshirt design drafts, decimal-based cost and profit calculators, customer surveys, and individual goal trackers to monitor math skills and teamwork habits across the project. They will also produce pricing pitch posters or slides that explain their recommended selling price using cost, quality, profit margin, and demand data, then revise them after feedback from classmates and the local merchandise shop owner. Through design critique circles, teams will refine graphics, colors, slogans, and ordering plans based on survey results and peer input. By the end, they will present finalized sweatshirt samples, revised pricing plans, cost charts, and reflection evidence at the Merch Market Showcase for the school community.

Kick off with a “Trip Fundraising Challenge” where students examine sample sweatshirts, vendor price lists, and a short message from a local merchandise shop owner about how businesses set prices to cover costs and earn profit. In teams, students use decimals to estimate the cost and possible selling price of one sweatshirt design, then decide whether their plan would actually raise enough money for the trip. Have teams share their first pricing ideas and questions, then introduce the essential question and individual goal trackers for math skills and collaboration habits. End with a quick design preference poll from classmates so students immediately experience how customer feedback will shape revisions.

Host a Merch Market Showcase where 5th graders present sweatshirt samples, revised design boards, decimal-based cost charts, pricing options, and projected profit totals for the school community. Students can run a pop-up display that includes customer survey results, explain how feedback shaped revisions to graphics, colors, slogans, and pricing, and justify which pricing plan best balances quality, cost, and profit for the trip fundraiser. Invite the local merchandise shop owner and families to attend, review student pitches, and give final feedback on product appeal, customer demand, and profit margins. During the event, students should use their individual goal trackers to reflect on math growth, teamwork, and next steps after sharing their work.