Lesson Plan Title : Adding and Subtracting Decimals

Age Range:

Grade 3 through Grade 5 (Elementary School)

Overview and Purpose:

The students will practice adding decimals using a restaurant menu. They will work in groups to plan a menu for a party. They will need to feed a certain amount of people with a pre-determined budget. They should try to come as close to as they can to the total amount allotted to them without going over.

Objective:

The student will be able to add and subtract numbers with place values to the hundredths.

Resources:

One catering menu for every three students (Make sure the menu gives amounts using dollars and cents.)

Activities:

Review place value and adding and subtracting of decimals. Explain to the students that they are planning a party and need to order the food. Give them the guidelines of how much money they have and either how many people there are or how much of each type of food they need to order (i.e. 2 pizzas, 3 salads, 2 desserts).

Have the students work in groups of three to order the correct amount of food and come as close to the limit of their budget without going over. Encourage them to try different scenarios to see if they can order more food for the same amount of money.

When all the groups are finished, come back together as a class and discuss. Have each group present what they ordered and how close they came to the total.

Closure:

This is a practical application that students will use all their lives. Extend the activity by having them estimate how much the total is before they add their order up.