A Math Game Girls Can Use for Holiday Shopping

If you like to go shopping, you will like the following math game. If you need practice converting fractions to decimals, you are going to love it — or at least appreciate it!

Cool Math Game, Real-Life Use

Best of all, this is a math game girls can use right now when shopping for the holidays (OK, boys can use it, too). Grab a pencil and notebook, get your calculator, and know that when you are done, you can hit the stores with some math savior faire. (Savior faire is French for knowing how to do something and being confident about it, too).

By the end of this game you will be able to do at least three things:

  • Convert fractions to decimals.
  • Rely on the principle of collecting facts.
  • Apply what you have learned to real-life shopping scenes.

Here Is Your Scenario: You Are Shopping for Jeans

You find a pair of jeans you love and the price is marked ½ off! The full, original price was $58.00. So, the discount is ½ off of $58.00

Before we go on, memorize these four facts:

1. In a word problem, the words off and of mean the very same thing as the multiplication sign ( x ).

2. ½ is always the same as 50%.

3. The denominator is the part of a fraction that is below the line.

4. The numerator is the part of a fraction that is above the line.

In the fraction ½, 1 is the numerator, and 2 is the denominator.

To Know the Actual Sales Price, Convert the Fraction to a Decimal

To convert ½ into a decimal, divide the denominator, 2, into the numerator, 1.
So ½ becomes 1 ÷ 2.

To make it possible to divide 1 by 2, we need to add .0 to the 1, making it 1.0.
Can 2 now be divided into 1.0? Yes!

1.0 ÷ 2 = .5

The answer is .5 (and not just 5) because we added the decimal point and 0, or .0, to the 1.

½ = .5

So, ½ off of the sale price of the jeans you want is .5 x the Original Price of the Jeans, or $58.00. Here is the equation:

.5 x 58 = ______

What is the answer? 29

(Psst . . . if you use a calculator, the equation is 58 x 50%. After entering 50 you will need to hit the % button to arrive at the correct answer.)

You would save $29, or ½ of the price, and pay $29 for the jeans.

Let’s Convert Another Fraction to a Decimal

One-third, or 1/3, is always the same as 33%. Memorize this!

But how do we convert the fraction 1/3 into a decimal? Same as we did above!

In the fraction 1/3, the number 1 is the numerator, and the number 3 is the denominator. The word denominator means the same as “devisor,” or the number you divide by.

Divide the numerator, 1, by the denominator, 3.

1.0 ÷ 3 = .333

When you work this equation, the number 3 is a repeating number: the 3 keeps going and going. You may shorten the number to .33.

So if those really cute jeans you want are 33% off of the original price of $58.00, your equation would be this:

.33 x 58 = ______

The answer? $19.14 is the amount of money you would save. That’s almost $20 you could put back in your pocket and not have to give to the store! Saving money is always a fabulous thing.

Let’s take our shopping math game one simple step forward.

What equation will give you the amount of money you would have to pay the store for the jeans? Let’s figure it out below.

Always Write Down Your Facts

To answer this last question, write down what you know:

  • The original price of the jeans is ______
  • One-third, or 33%, off of the original price is ______

So, your equation for knowing what you would pay is this:

Original Price – 33% Savings = Sales Price

You do the math!

Convert One More Fraction to a Decimal

Let’s build your skill and confidence a little bit more.

Convert 5/8 to a decimal.

Divide the numerator, 5, by the denominator, 8.

5 ÷ 8 = ______

You can also write the equation like this:

Math games for holiday shopping

Homework Isn’t Forever but Brainwork Is

Math is beautiful. At least it can be when it has a purpose beyond homework and that purpose makes sense! Try this last problem.

Begin by gathering your facts:

  • In a word problem, the words of and off mean the same thing as this math symbol: ______.
  • In a fraction, the numerator is the number that goes ______ the line. The denominator is the number that goes ______ the line.
  • To convert a fraction to a decimal, divide the ______ by the ______.

Here Is Your Scenario: You Are Shoe Shopping!

You find a pair of shoes you love for ¼ off. You have $30. Do you have enough money for the shoes?

Your aunt says she will pay for whatever amount you do not have IF AND ONLY IF you can figure out the sales price! If you do not do the math, your aunt will not help you and you will not get the shoes.

IF SOMEONE IS WILLING TO GIVE YOU MONEY, IT IS WORTH KNOWING HOW TO DO THE MATH.

The original price of the shoes is marked at $52.

Do the Math:

  • Convert the fraction ¼ to a decimal.
  • Divide the numerator by the denominator.
  • Multiply the decimal number by the full price.
  • Subtract the amount of money saved from the original price.
  • How much is the sales price?
  • What is the difference between the sales price and the amount of money you have, your $30?
  • How much money do you need to request from your aunt?
  • Will you get your new shoes?

Find Out the Answer! Click Here.

Photo credits
Jeans © Alex Disuja. All rights reserved.
Shoes © elifkya. All rights reserved.