Problem Overview

Problem

Problem Title: Dont Lose Your Shirt Course: Algebra 1 Author(s): Geoff Krall

Dont Lose Your Shirt

(A) Principal _________ has asked you to order and sell T-shirts with the school logo for an upcoming school fundraiser. Because of antiquated district contractual obligations, you must order from TOM'S T-SHIRT PALACE. Upon talking to Tom you find out he has three pricing schemes, listed below. Order type 1: $115 for the first T-shirt. $13 for each additional shirt. Order type 2: $225 for the first T-shirt. $9 for each additional shirt. Order type 3: $325 for the first T-shirt. $6 for each additional shirt. Your task is to determine which order type will be best applicable for you, depending on how many T-shirts are ordered. Please be prepared to report back to Principal _________ with your findings in whatever fashion you like. (B) Students have begun pre-ordering T-shirts like mad! Who knew there was such a demand! So far, 26 students have already ordered shirts! The Principal wants to know: which pricing scheme should we use? What if we expect even more students to purchase at the actual event? (C) The Principal is pleased with your work thus far. He has informed you that he would like you to purchase $600 worth of shirts for the next fundraiser. What is the most number of shirts we could purchase for that amount, and under which pricing scheme?
Standards/Big Ideas Addressed Linear equations and inequalities

Students graph linear equations and inequalities in two variables. They write equations of lines and find and use the slope and y-intercept of lines.
Likely units/big ideas that came before Likely units/big ideas that come after this this problem problem Solving systems of equations. Writing / solving linear equations. Assumptions about Student Prior Knowledge

Students should already know.... How to write an equation based on information. How to graph equations. How to interpret y-intercept and slope.

Phase Roll out (k/ntk/next steps)

Facilitation Notes Anticipated Student Action Notes/tips including time for phase Students will likely identify these Total Roll-out time: 30 minutes KNOWs:

Assessment

Ordering T-shirts under three prescribed pricing scheme. Each pricing scheme has a different initial price and a different price for each additional shirt. The cheaper pricing schemes per shirt have more expensive initial costs.

Split students into groups or pairs and give them the problem. 3) As a part of the sharing out time, have students give ideas of how best to evaluate this problem mathematically. As an example, ask the following: What if we ordered 5 shirts, which pricing scheme would we use? What if we ordered 900,000 shirts, which pricing scheme would we use? Where does the advantage of each scheme switch? How can we best represent that mathematically?

If they have prior knowledge about graphing linear expressions, they might KNOW:

We will have to develop equations for each pricing scheme.

Students will potentially identify the following NEED TO KNOWs:

We need to project the number of shirts ordered.

Student work time

Have the students get back into pairs and make a table of each pricing scheme. For example, # TPricing Pricing Pricing Shirts 1 2 3 10 30 50 70 Once they come up with all three expressions, 1: 115+13x 2: 225+9x 3: 325+6x, note that we could represent these equations graphically (if they havent already realized it). Either on graph paper of with a graphing

As the students complete their tables, float around the room. Ask how they came up with each value. Students may answer for example, For Pricing Scheme 1 at 10 shirts I multiplied 13 by 10 and added 115. Upon their answer, have them develop a mathematical expression that we could graph.

Have students summarize their graph and findings: Which pricing scheme is most advantageous for what number of shirts? Why?

*These are typically optional, depending upon the nature/quality of the initial sharing out of students. Solution to Problem

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS (A) Solutions may be arrived at a few different ways: solving equations, making tables, or plotting a graph. All three will probably require the construction an equation set. Let cost (x) be the cost for the total number of shirts (x). Equation (1): cost =$115+$13x Equation (2): cost =$ 225+$ 9x Equation (3): cost =$ 325+$ 6x

From this graph we can see that Pricing Scheme 1 would be the cheapest option until it intersects with Pricing Scheme 2, at 27.5 shirts. Similarly, Pricing Scheme 3 becomes the cheapest after it intersects with Pricing Scheme 2, at 33.3 shirts. So we can summarize that the cheapest options would be Pricing Scheme 1 for x < 27.5 shirts, Pricing Scheme 2 for 27.5 < x < 33.3 shirts, Pricing Scheme 3 for x > 33.3 shirts.

(B) This solution offers a bit of wiggle room for proper answers as 26 shirts have been preordered, but it is not known how many will eventually be ordered. Ask students to give a reason for which Pricing Scheme they would choose for this solution. Answers could be based on school size. (C) For $600, Pricing Scheme 3 would net us the most shirts (see answer for part (A)). To find out how many shirts we will be able to purchase for $600, we solve the following equation: Cost =$ 600=$ 325+$ 6x $ 275=$ 6x x=45.8 So for $600 we may purchase up to 45 shirts under Pricing Scheme 3.