First, you’ll watch a video about Sue Torres, an accomplished chef and restaurant owner, to learn how she uses math in her work. At the end of the video Sue sets up a restaurant-related algebra challenge. You will work with a partner to solve the challenge.

Before you get started, record your name(s) in the space below.

After you’ve finished this activity, you will be able to:

• Describe scenarios that require chefs to use mathematics and algebraic reasoning in creating menu pricing;
• Identify a strategy and create a model for problem solving;
• Use statistics appropriate to compare the median, the mean and the spread of two or more different data sets;
• Recognize trend lines and predict a line of best fit;
• Understand, explain, and use algebraic and numeric expressions and equations that are interconnected and build on one another to produce a coherent whole.

Vocabulary

Read these words and their definitions. When you see them, you may click on them to read the definition again.

• Coordinates
• Scatter Plot
• Trend line
• Correlation
• Line of Best Fit
• Linear
• Extrapolation
• Interpolation
• Slope
• Box and Whisker Plot
• 5-Number Summary
• Median
• Average

Most of us have enjoyed a meal in a restaurant with family or friends. Whether it’s a special occasion or a quick meal on the go, few of us stop to think why a meal or item on the menu is priced at a particular amount. Have you ever thought about how mathematics plays a role in how much you pay for food at a restaurant?

Discuss the following questions with your partner, then record your answers in the box below. Don’t forget to save your work!

• Discuss your favorite foods and the cost of eating them in a restaurant.
• Brainstorm the ways mathematics factors into the cost of preparing and selling food in restaurants.

This video features Sue Torres, chef and owner of Sueños, a Mexican restaurant in New York City. In the video, Sue describes how she uses math to help her decide how much to charge for menu items.

Click “View” on the left to watch the video. You may want to watch the video multiple times before answering the question below.

• What is one of Sue Torres' biggest challenges?

In the video you just watched you met Sue Torres. You learned about her passion for Mexican food and about her career as a chef and restaurant owner. Sue challenges the teams to predict avocado prices for the next year and to use their predictions to recommend a menu price for guacamole.

You will solve the challenge on the next screen, but before you do, think about the questions below and record your answers:

• According to the video, what are some of the ways Sue Torres uses math in her work?
• Describe the challenge that Sue poses to the teens in the video—what is she asking them to do?

Now it’s your turn to solve the challenge. First, click “View” on the left to open the Math in Restaurants: Take the Challenge handout. Print out the handout.

Next, click “View” below to explore the Take the Challenge interactive. Work with your partner to develop a strategy and complete the handout as you work through the activity.

It’s time to see how the teams in the video solved the challenge.

How do the teams' strategies compare to the one you used? Be sure to use evidence from your work and the video to explain your answer.

Now that you have developed a strategy and seen it through to completion, it’s time to try another challenge. In this next activity, you’ll look for a trend in one of the following food items: chicken, shrimp or beef. Then, as before, you'll recommend a menu price based on the past prices of the main ingredient.

Click “View” on the left to open the Math in Restaurants: Try Other Restaurant Challenges handout. Print the handout.

Then, click “View” to open the interactive. Work with your partner to implement the strategy that works best for you. Complete the handout as you work through the activity.

Reflection: Now take the time to reflect on this activity and record your findings. Click “View” on the left to download the Reflection handout. Print out the handout.

Instructions

Discuss the questions on the handout with your partner. Then, answer the questions on your own. Be ready to present your conclusions for a classroom discussion.

When you’re finished, print out the notes you took during this lesson and turn them in to your teacher along with the two handouts and the reflection.