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7th Grade  Project 2 weeks

Thrifted Threads: Probability in Every Outfit

Ellen C
Updated
7.SP.C.6
7.SP.C.7
7.SP.A.1
7.RP.A.3
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
+ 4 more
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Purpose

Students investigate “How do we dress for success on a budget?” by designing versatile capsule wardrobes for different professions. They launch with a timed paper-doll outfit challenge, mixing and matching pieces to explore versatility, then use representative sampling, probability models, observed frequencies, ratios, and percent calculations to analyze thrift-store options and costs. Teams collaborate with local career counselors to ensure recommendations are practical, respectful, and career-appropriate. They create and exhibit thrift-store shopping guides that help community members build affordable wardrobes for starting new careers.

Learning goals

Students will use random samples to analyze thrift-store clothing options and determine how well the data represent available career wardrobes. They will develop probability models, compare predicted and observed clothing availability, and explain discrepancies. Students will apply ratios, proportions, percentages, and cost calculations to design versatile capsule wardrobes that answer, “How do we dress for success on a budget?” Building on a timed paper-doll mix-and-match challenge, teams will collaborate with local career counselors and communicate their findings through practical thrift-store shopping guides for people starting new careers.

Standards
  • [California] 7.SP.C.6 - Approximate the probability of a chance event by collecting data on the chance process that produces it and observing its long-run relative frequency, and predict the approximate relative frequency given the probability. For example, when rolling a number cube 600 times, predict that a 3 or 6 would be rolled roughly 200 times, but probably not exactly 200 times.
  • [California] 7.SP.C.7 - Develop a probability model and use it to find probabilities of events. Compare probabilities from a model to observed frequencies; if the agreement is not good, explain possible sources of the discrepancy.
  • [California] 7.SP.A.1 - Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a population by examining a sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample are valid only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that random sampling tends to produce representative samples and support valid inferences.
  • [California] 7.RP.A.3 - Use proportional relationships to solve multistep ratio and percent problems.
Competencies
  • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
  • Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
  • Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
  • Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
  • Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.

Products

Students will create mix-and-match paper-doll outfits during the launch and use them to identify versatile wardrobe pieces. Teams will produce a representative career-needs survey, a budget with ratio and percent calculations, and a probability model comparing predicted and observed availability of clothing in thrift-store samples. With feedback from local career counselors, students will revise capsule wardrobe recommendation cards that answer, “How do we dress for success on a budget?” The final cards will become practical thrift-store shopping guides for people building wardrobes to start new careers.

Launch

Teams draw a profession and budget at random, then have three minutes to create a paper-doll outfit for that career. Students mix and match clothing pieces across teams, track which combinations meet the career and budget criteria, and discuss how chance affected their options. A local career counselor gives feedback on workplace needs and presents the challenge: “How do we dress for success on a budget?” Students use their discoveries to identify what their thrift-store shopping guides must help people accomplish when starting a new career.

Exhibition

Host a “Dress for Success on a Budget” showcase at a local thrift store or school career event, inviting local career counselors, families, and store staff. Student teams present their thrift-store shopping guides and capsule wardrobe cards, using representative price samples, percentages, and probability models to explain which versatile pieces shoppers are most likely to find within budget. Display the launch-day paper dolls beside revised mix-and-match outfits to show how feedback and data improved each recommendation. Visitors use a brief feedback card to identify the clearest, most practical guides, which students revise before the thrift store distributes them.