8th Grade Task: T-shirt Task

Essential and guiding questions:

Questions:

Did you use the first name, the last name, or both the first and last names when you wrote your response to Ms. Shaw? Does it make a difference what you chose to use?
What ratios were given to you? How did you use the ratios to solve the problem? Did you have to use information besides the ratios to solve the problem?
Who was right—Andrea or Lexus? Why? (Note: Students should note that neither was completely right because the underlying assumptions each one makes do not support the overall argument.)

Blooms taxonomy level:

Understanding

Differentiation suggestions:

If students can’t get started. . .

If you bought your shirt from Company A, what name would you have on
the back? How much would your shirt cost?
What would be the cost of your shirt from Company B?
Is it always true that Company A will be cheaper (or more expensive, depending on the answers to the previous two questions) than Company B? Why or why not?

Extension suggestions:

If students finish early. . .

How would you estimate the total cost of all of the shirts for this class?
What assumptions would you need to make about the shirts?
Do you think that if someone else estimated the total cost of all of the shirts, they would have a different answer than you? Why would their answer be different?

Originator: