Learning Math with a Restaurant

Last Wednesday, Liza’s grade 2/3 class modeled a restaurant to learn math. Specifically, this hands-on activity taught students how to make change.

Making change seems easy once you’ve figured it out, but it involves a lot of math concepts – addition, subtraction, the value of money, number placement. Liza had the students work hard in the weeks leading up to their restaurant to practise subtracting and adding up to the total amount they paid.

The students played a lot of games and worked with coins to try to really understand how money works on a day to day basis. They got better and better until the day they hosted their restaurant.

In the days leading up to the restaurant the students planned out what bite-sized snacks they’d bring from home (cookies, popcorn, apple slices, granola bars). Then they priced them and made their promotional materials.

On the day of the restaurant half of the students sold their snacks with pretend money, while the other students bought their snacks; then they switched up. They did a great job of selling and buying their treats and learning took place throughout! Now they get to apply their new found money skills to the real world.

Thanks to all the families who shared snacks and who came out to volunteer for this activity!

Published: December 8, 2019

Tags: Cooperation and teamwork, experiential learning, Innovative approaches to teaching and learning, math, Student-directed learning