Learning Activity – Mathematics
Cycle 2
I Equip My Team
Guide
Background Information
Title
I Equip My Team
Guiding Question
How am I going to stay within my budget?
Cycle
Elementary Cycle 2
Suggested Duration
Two hours
Pedagogical Intention
To help students explore the concept of financial literacy
Competencies
Mathematics
C1 – To solve a situational problem related to mathematics.
C2 – To reason using mathematical concepts and processes.
Essential Knowledge
Understanding and Writing Numbers
Natural numbers less than 100,000
 Represent a situation using concrete objects, diagrams or equations or vice versa (use of
different meanings of addition and subtraction)
Operations Involving Numbers
Natural Numbers
To develop written calculation processes (addition and subtraction).
 Using conventional processes, determine the operations on the sum of two natural numbers
having more than 4 digits.
 Use the  and  functions on a calculator.
Evaluation
Evaluation Rubrics (appendix B)
Required Materials


Student Booklet
Teacher’s Guide
Illustrations

Ekomini
Page 1
Summary Chart
The following chart represents four learning activities for Cycle 2. The learning activities are not
in sequential order.
Title, Description and
Concept Developed
The Piggy Bank
Using recycled materials,
students continue to explore
the concept of saving while
making a functional 3D piggy
bank.
Discipline and
Competency
Targeted
Progression of Learning
Visual Arts
Applications of Knowledge
C1: To Produce
individual works in
the visual arts.
• To use personal ideas inspired by the
stimulus for creation.
• To use transforming gestures and
elements of visual arts language.
• To share his/her creative experience.
Concept developed:
Saving
Knowledge
• Visual Arts
The Negotiator
Students explore the concept
of barter
Concept developed:
Exchange
I Equip My Team
Students explore more deeply
the concept of budgeting as
they plan the purchase of
sports equipment for a hockey
team while respecting
budgetary constraints.
English Language
Arts
To read and listen
to literary, popular
and informationbased texts
• Uses a variety of reading strategies to
make meaning of different text types.
• Uses details and evidence in the text to
infer meaning(s)
• Constructs a personal response to the
text.
Mathematics
Concepts and Processes
C1: To solve a
situational problem
related to
mathematics.
• To translate a situation using a series of
operations in accordance with the order of
operations: addition.
• To develop processes for written
computation (addition and subtraction).
• To use his/her own processes as well as
objects and drawings to determine the
sum or difference of two natural numbers
less than 1000.
• To determine the operation(s) to perform
in a given situation.
C2: To reason using
mathematical
concepts and
processes.
• To develop processes for written
computation (addition and subtraction).
• To use his/her own processes as well as
objects and drawings to determine the
sum or difference of two natural numbers
less than 1000.
• To compare natural numbers.
• Vocabulary: is equal to, is greater than, is
less than…
Mathematics
Concepts and Processus
C2: To reason using
mathematical
concepts and
processes.
• To approximate the result
• To develop processes for written
computation (addition and subtraction)
• To develop processes for written
computation (multiplication and division)
Concept developed:
Expenses
Koni Spends Too Much
Students are invited to create a
repayment plan.
Concept developed:
Expenses
Response Process
Source: Québec, ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
Page 2
Overview of the Task
In this learning activity, the students have to plan the purchase of sport equipment for a hockey
team while respecting budgetary constraints. They have to purchase the equipment at three
different places: a specialized sports store, a used equipment (second hand) store and at
“Trade N Play,” a sports equipment exchange event.
Guiding Question
How am I going to stay within my budget?
Preparation Phase
40 minutes



Present the auction game.
Lead a discussion on the popularity of some items and the reasons why they are so popular.
Present the task they will carry out.
Materials Needed
 Ask students to bring to school an item that they own, that is in good condition, but that they
do not use any more. (Each student should bring in one item. Parent approval is required.)
They will be offering these items for sale at a class auction.
OR
 Have a “pretend” auction – assign students items such as the ones found in Appendix A.
Procedure
Here’s how the auction game can be played:
 Group students in teams of four.
 Show them an item up for auction.
 The members of each team discuss among themselves how much they are collectively
willing to pay for this item, and agree on their top bid.
 As “auctioneer” you (the teacher) should try to increase the amount the students are willing
to pay from the start bid price to the highest bid possible.
 The team with the highest bid price buys the object.
 Each team starts off with $200 of play money to spend.
After the “auction” is over, ask the class these questions:
 What are your impressions about the auction process?
 Did you notice any problems that your team or other teams encountered?
 What strategy did your team use?
 Was it difficult for your team to stay within your budget and still make the bids that you
wanted to?
 Was it difficult as a team to agree on the price (value) of an item?
 Have you ever bought used articles?
 Why are certain items more expensive than others?
Page 3
Implementation Phase
90 minutes
Procedure
 Distribute the Student Booklet.
 Make students aware of the task by having them read Part 1 – Buying Equipment!
 Have students read the instructions and acquaint themselves with the challenge they have
to deal with. They should become familiar with the contents of the three posters in the
Appendix to the Student Booklet.
 Explain to the students that they have to buy all the equipment required by a hockey team,
while at the same time staying within the spending limits imposed by their budget. They can
accomplish this by taking advantage of three purchasing opportunities (the two stores and
the Trade N Play equipment exchange).
 With respect to question 2 in the Student Booklet, they have to figure out if they will have
sufficient money left after they have bought their equipment to go see the Ekominiville
professional hockey team play.
 Ask students to work through their problem situation by justifying the choices they have to
make and by keeping track of the steps they take in the decision-making process.
Integration Phase
20 minutes


Return to the guiding question: How am I going to stay within my budget?
Is it easy or difficult to stay within a budget? Why?
Page 4
Appendix A
Items that can be put up for sale at a “pretend auction”

An MP3 player

A Monopoly game

Tickets to see a popular band

A box of colored crayons

A poetry book

Two tickets to see a movie

A day pass at an amusement park

A tomato plant
Page 5
Appendix B
Evaluation Rubrics
Competency 1: To solve a situational problem in mathematics.
Observable Behaviors
Level A
Evaluation Criteria
To solve a situational
problem the student…
 takes into account all
constraints that have to
be respected.
Demonstrates, orally
or in writing,
 identifies the relevant
understanding of the
data and determines
situational problem.
how to carry out all the
steps.
 needs only minor
interventions to clarify
certain aspects of the
situational problem.
 uses the required
mathematical concepts
and processes.
Mobilizes the correct
concepts and
 produces an exact
processes required
solution or one with
to produce an
minor errors (calculation
appropriate solution
errors, inaccuracies,
omissions, etc..).
Explanation (oral or
written) of the main
aspects of the
solution
Appropriate
explanation (oral or
written) of how the
solution was
validated*
 presents a solution
consisting of clear,
complete and structured
work.
Level B
Level C
Level D
To solve a situational
problem the student…
 takes into account most
constraints that have to
be respected.
To solve a situational
problem the student…
 takes into account some
constraints that have to
be respected.
To solve a situational
problem the student…
 takes into account few
constraints that have to
be respected.
 identifies most of the
relevant data and
determines how to carry
out the main steps.
 needs intervention to
clarify certain aspects of
the situational problem.
 identifies the obvious
data and determines
how to carry out some
steps.
 needs intervention to
clarify several aspects of
the situational problem..
 identifies some relevant
data, but is unable to
reinvest this information.
 needs intervention to
clarify most aspects of
the situational problem.
Level E
To solve a situational
problem the student…
 takes into account few
constraints that have to
be respected, or none at
all.
 identifies some data, but
is unable to distinguish
what is relevant and
what is not.
 needs intervention to
clarify all aspects of the
situational problem..
 uses the main required
 uses some of the
 uses few of the required
mathematical concepts
required mathematical
mathematical concepts
and processes.
concepts and processes.
and processes required.
 produces a solution with  produces a solution
 produces a partial
few errors regarding
containing errors
solution incorporating
concepts and processes.
regarding concepts and
only simple steps and
processes.
containing errors
regarding concepts and
processes..
 uses inappropriate
mathematical concepts
and processes.
 does not produce a
solution or produces a
partial solution with
major errors regarding
concepts and processes.
 presents a solution
consisting of clear and
organized work, even
though some steps are
implicit.
 validates the main steps in  validates some of the
his/her solution and
steps in his/her solution
rectifies it, if necessary.
and rectifies it, if
necessary.
 presents a solution
consisting of incomplete
or disorganized work.
 shows work consisting of
confusing and isolated
elements.
 shows little work.
 makes sure he/she has
completed the main steps
in the situational problem
and validates certain
operations.
 makes very little effort to
review his/her work.
 makes no effort to review
his/her work.
Page 6
Competency 2 – To reason using mathematical concepts and processes.
Observable Behaviors
Level A
 Identifies the elements
and actions that allow
him/her to meet the
requirements of the
situation.
Evaluation Criteria
Level D
Level E
 Identifies the elements
and actions that allow
him/her to meet the main
requirements of the
situation.
 Identifies elements and
actions that allow him/her
to partially meet some of
the requirements of the
situation.
 Identifies elements and
actions that have little or
no connection to the
requirements of the
situation.
 Chooses the
mathematical concepts
and processes that allow
him/her to appropriately
meet the requirements of
the situation.
 Chooses the
mathematical concepts
and processes that allow
him/her to meet the main
requirements of the
situation.
 Chooses the
mathematical concepts
and processes that allow
him/her to partially meet
the requirements of the
situation.
 Chooses the
mathematical concepts
and processes that have
little or no connection to
the requirements of the
situation.
 Applies the required
concepts and processes
appropriately in order to
meet the requirements of
the task and makes no
mistakes in doing so.
 Applies the required
concepts and processes
appropriately in order to
meet the requirements of
the task, but makes a few
minor mistakes (e.g.
miscalculations,
inaccuracies, omissions).
 Applies some of the
 Applies some of the
 Applies concepts and
required concepts and
required concepts and
processes and makes
processes and makes one
processes and makes one
major conceptual or
conceptual or procedural
major conceptual or
procedural errors or apply
error considered minor in
procedural error regarding
inappropriate concepts
the context of the task or
a key concept associated
and processes.
makes several minor
with the task or does not
mistakes.
apply one of the key
concepts.
 Presents a clear and
complete line of
reasoning.
 Presents a clear line of
reasoning even though
some of its elements are
implicit.
 Presents a line of
reasoning consisting of
some unclear elements.
 Uses rigorous
mathematical arguments
when required to support
his/her actions,
conclusions or results.
 Uses appropriate
mathematical arguments
when required to support
his/her actions,
conclusions or results.
 Uses insufficiently detailed  Uses largely inappropriate
mathematical arguments
mathematical arguments
when required to support
when required to support
his/her actions,
his/her actions,
conclusions or results.
conclusions or results.
and processes that allow
him/her to efficiently meet
the requirements of the
situation.
Correct justification
of actions or
statements by
referring to
mathematical
concepts and
processes
Level C
 Identifies most of the
elements and actions that
allow him/her to meet the
requirements of the
situation.
Appropriate analysis
of a situation
 Chooses the
involving
mathematical concepts
applications
Appropriate
application of the
required processes
Level B
 Presents a line of
reasoning consisting of
isolated and confusing
elements.
 Presents a line of
reasoning that has little or
no connection to the
situation or does not show
any work.
 Uses mathematical
arguments that are
erroneous or unrelated to
the situation when
required to support his/her
actions, conclusions or
results.
Page 7