Problem Description Sheet:    Getting Fed Up With Math   

Introduction: Mathematics can be useful when we plan our weekly meals. In this problem, you are asked to plan a 7-day week worth of meals.

Problem: Plan a 7-day week worth of meals. Include in your plan details related to the number of people being fed, the menu, and the costs. Plan this for your family (or if you wish, you can plan it for a made-up family). Some questions or details to think about include:

How many people are in the family? What do they like to eat? What should they drink? How much do they eat and drink?

How can I plan for three balanced meals each day? What are the nutritional requirements for adults and children? Where can I find this information?

What will the costs be? Look in grocery advertising flyers or visit a grocery store to price out what your week's menu will cost. If you plan to use food or ingredients from your cupboards, how much will it cost to replace them? If you plan to eat out one night, what will be the nutritional value and cost of the meal?

How will you present your week's menu, its nutritional value, and its cost? Will you use tables or graphs to show any of the information?

Materials: pencil, paper, calculator, food nutrition information sources, grocery advertising flyers, trip to the grocery store

Extra Questions: Compare your menu to other menus prepared by classmates. How do the nutritional values and costs compare? Would you make any changes to your menu?

Topic(s):

Numbers and operations, data management, critical and creative thinking, communication

  Activity Type:

Group      Individual 

  Assessment:

Scale:    Levels 1-5   
Self     Peer     Teacher 
Include in your portfolio?
Yes     No     Optional 
Toward Your Marks?
Yes     No     Optional 

  Hints: