Brewing Percentages: Coffee and Math Connection
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Brewing Percentages: Coffee and Math Connection

Grade 5Math3 days
★★★★★
4.0 (1 rating)
The 'Brewing Percentages: Coffee and Math Connection' project immerses 5th-grade students in real-world applications of percentages through the context of the coffee trade industry. Students explore how percentages influence coffee quality, pricing, and profitability by analyzing data sets, engaging in a coffee trade market simulation, and visiting a local coffee roastery. This project aims to enhance students' mathematical skills in calculating and interpreting percentages, enrich their strategic thinking and decision-making abilities, and showcase the relevance of math in everyday scenarios.
PercentagesCoffee TradeMathematicsData AnalysisDecision MakingReal-World Application
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we use percentages to better understand and impact the coffee production and trade industry?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What is a percentage and how is it calculated?
  • How are percentages used to assess the quality and price of coffee?
  • In what ways do percentages help in determining the profitability of coffee trade?
  • How can we compare different percentages to make informed decisions in coffee production and trade?
  • How do changes in percentage values affect coffee buying and selling strategies?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Understand and calculate percentages through real-world applications in coffee production and trade.
  • Analyze how percentages are used to assess the quality and price of coffee.
  • Evaluate the role of percentages in determining profitability in the coffee trade industry.
  • Compare different percentages to make informed decisions in coffee production and trade.
  • Understand the impact of percentage change in coffee buying and selling strategies.

Common Core Standards

5.NBT.B.7
Primary
Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.Reason: Understanding percentages requires the ability to convert percentages to decimals and perform operations with them.
5.MD.B.2
Supporting
Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Use operations on fractions for this grade to solve problems involving information presented in line plots.Reason: Students can use line plots to represent and analyze coffee trade data, understanding percentage fluctuations over time.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

From Bean to Brew: An Interactive Journey

Engage students with a field trip to a local coffee roastery, followed by an interactive session on how percentages influence each stage from coffee roasting to brewing, including yield percentages and cost analysis. This hands-on experience connects math with real-world processes.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

The Coffee Economy: Pricing and Quality Assessment

Students explore how percentages play a role in assessing the quality and pricing of coffee. They will conduct an analysis based on given data to understand real-world applications of percentages in the coffee industry.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Present students with a variety of data sets showing coffee prices and quality ratings.
2. Instruct students to calculate percentages within each data set, such as how much certain factors contribute to the overall price.
3. Discuss how percentage of quality grades impacts pricing by exploring case studies or real-world scenarios.
4. Have students present their findings and give a short summary of their analysis.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA report with analyses of quality and pricing based on percentage calculations.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports 5.NBT.B.7 by applying percentage calculations to understand complex data and decision making in a real-world context like the coffee trade.
Activity 2

The Profit Game: Strategic Percentage Decisions

Simulate a coffee trade market where students make buying and selling decisions based on percentage changes. This engaging activity allows students to apply their understanding of percentages in strategic and critical thinking situations.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Set up a classroom simulation of a coffee trade market with roles for buyers, sellers, and analysts.
2. Introduce scenarios with varying percentage increases and decreases in coffee prices and quality.
3. Have students decide on their strategies for maximizing profit based on these percentage changes.
4. Facilitate reflection sessions where students evaluate their strategies and outcomes.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA reflection document detailing the strategies used and lessons learned during the simulation, focusing on percentage-related decisions.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with the learning goal to understand the impact of percentage changes in trade strategies and is related to 5.NBT.B.7 and 5.MD.B.2 by applying real-world strategic decision-making processes using percentage knowledge.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Coffee Production and Trade - Percentage Application Rubric

Category 1

Data Analysis and Calculation

Evaluates the student's ability to calculate percentages and analyze data sets related to coffee pricing and quality.
Criterion 1

Percentage Calculation

Assesses the accuracy and comprehension of percentage calculations applied to coffee data sets.

Exemplary
4 Points

Accurately calculates percentages with outstanding precision and effectively explains the impact on coffee pricing and quality data.

Proficient
3 Points

Calculates percentages accurately and consistently explains their application to coffee data.

Developing
2 Points

Attempts to calculate percentages with partial accuracy and provides some explanation of their impact on data.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to calculate percentages accurately and offers limited or incorrect explanations.

Criterion 2

Data Interpretation

Measures the ability to interpret and analyze data represented in line plots and real-world scenarios.

Exemplary
4 Points

Interprets data with exceptional clarity, providing insightful analysis and thorough connection to real-world coffee scenarios.

Proficient
3 Points

Interprets data clearly and connects it effectively to coffee-related scenarios.

Developing
2 Points

Provides a basic interpretation of data with limited connection to coffee scenarios.

Beginning
1 Points

Offers minimal or flawed data interpretation with little to no connection to real-world scenarios.

Category 2

Strategic Thinking and Decision Making

Assesses the capability to make informed decisions using percentage data and strategic thinking within coffee trade simulations.
Criterion 1

Decision-Making Strategy

Evaluates the creativity and effectiveness of decisions made during simulations based on percentage changes.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates innovative and highly effective decision-making strategies, showing leadership in simulations.

Proficient
3 Points

Applies effective and consistent decision-making strategies in simulations.

Developing
2 Points

Attempts decision-making with some success, but lacks consistency and creativity.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to make informed decisions and requires support to participate in simulations.

Criterion 2

Reflection and Evaluation

Focuses on the student's ability to reflect on their learning and strategies used in simulations, particularly related to percentages.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides comprehensive and insightful reflection, demonstrating deep understanding of percentage-related decisions.

Proficient
3 Points

Offers clear and thoughtful reflection on learning and decisions made.

Developing
2 Points

Provides basic reflection with some understanding of learning and decisions made.

Beginning
1 Points

Offers minimal reflection with little connection to decision-making or learning from experiences.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

How did the field trip to the local coffee roastery help you understand the role of percentages in coffee production and trade?

Text
Required
Question 2

On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel about using percentages to analyze coffee trade data after completing the activities?

Scale
Required
Question 3

Which aspect of the coffee trade activities (pricing analysis or trade simulation) helped you the most in understanding percentage applications, and why?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Pricing and Quality Assessment
The Profit Game: Strategic Percentage Decisions
Question 4

How do you think understanding percentages can help in making informed decisions not just in coffee trade but in other areas of life or industries?

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Optional