Help your students master real-world percent and rate skills through an engaging, story-driven activity. Students are introduced to Idris Callahan, a 15-year-old sneaker fan who wants to find the best deal on a new pair of Apex Peak Force shoes without overspending his grocery store paycheque. Along the way, they apply percent calculations and unit rate reasoning to situations that feel relevant and real.

Skills Covered:

• Percent of a number
• Discounts and sale prices
• Tax (HST)
• Percent increase and decrease
• Unit rate and better buy comparisons
• Budget reasoning and critical thinking

What's Included:

• Student activity pages
• Full answer key with worked solutions
• Teacher notes with instructional tips, common errors, and extension ideas
  

About the Activity: Idris finds the same sneakers at three stores, each offering a different discount. Students calculate sale prices, add HST, and then connect each final price to something students rarely consider, how many hours of work it actually takes to afford it. A percent increase and decrease section tracks real price shifts after the shoes are restocked. A better buy comparison challenges students to look past the total price and find the lower unit rate between two sock packs. A final earnings section rounds out the activity with payroll deductions and tip calculations.

This activity makes a great assessment piece.