Progressive Mathematics Initiative
Mathematics Curriculum
Unit #8 Project
Title: Orange Soda Experiment
Grade Level: 6 / Length of Time: 3 days
Project Summary:
Students will work in teams to develop an orange soda, which they will mass-produce. This project requires collaboration, critical thinking, and higher-order problem solving. They will utilize their knowledge of ratios, unit rates, proportions, and percents as they determine the ideal ratio of orange juice to baking soda, calculate quantities of ingredients needed, and calculate manufacturing costs and their net profit.
Learning Targets
Domain: Ratios and Proportional Relationships
Cluster: Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.
Standard #s: / Standards:
6.RP.1 / Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. For example, “The ratio of wings to beaks in the bird house at the zoo was 2:1, because for every 2 wings there was 1 beak.” “For every vote candidate A received, candidate C received nearly three votes.”
6.RP.2 / Understand the concept of a unit rate a/b associated with a ratio a:b with b ≠ 0, and use rate language in the context of a ratio relationship. For example, “This recipe has a ratio of 3 cups of flour to 4 cups of sugar, so there is 3/4 cup of flour for each cup of sugar.” “We paid $75 for 15 hamburgers, which is a rate of $5 per hamburger.”
6.RP.3 / Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematicalproblems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
b. Solve unit rate problems including those involving unit pricing andconstant speed. For example, if it took 7 hours to mow 4 lawns, then at that rate, how many lawns could be mowed in 35 hours? At what rate were lawns being mowed?
c. Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of aquantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent.
d. Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities
Evidence of Learning
Rubric will assess:
 Planning: Accuracy of calculations
 Reasoning and Problem Solving: Written and presented rationale
Materials
Student Handout (4 pgs.)
Score Sheet
Orange Juice for each group
Baking Soda for ach group
Paper towels and hand wipes
Measuring cups/spoons for each group
A disposable cup for each group
A bucket to dump liquid waste for each group
Lesson Plans
Lessons / Timeframe
Present Project & Steps 1-3 / One 40 min period
Steps 3-10 / 1 period
Presentations / Taste Test / 1 period
Curriculum Development Resources:

Orange Soda

Experiment

A major soda company has hired you to develop a new orange soft drink. Your goal is to produce the best tasting orange soda on the market. Using orange juice and baking soda, you will determine the ideal ratio of juice to baking soda for your drink. Once you have identified your formula, you will determine the quantity of each ingredient needed to mass-produce your product.

Once completed, your drink will compete in a blind taste test to be judged by the CEO of the soda company (your teacher).

Group Member Role

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Steps

Follow the steps in order, and check off each step as you complete it.

Steps:

______1) Choose group roles:

Facilitator, Materials Manager, Recorder, Time Keeper

______2) Together as a group, begin testing ratios of juice to baking soda for your soda. Measure each ingredient as you put it into your cup. On a separate sheet of paper, create a chart to record each trial, like the one below. After you have recorded your results, dump the drink into your bucket and begin again. Once you have finished your trials, clean up your workspace.

Trial # / Orange Juice / Baking Soda / Result
1 / 1 c / 1 tbsp / Too fizzy
2 / 1.5 c / 1 tsp / Too flat
3 / ½ c / .5 tsp / May work

______3) Choose your top two combinations, and answer the following questions.

  1. Which formula had the highest concentrate of orange juice? Show your work and explain your choice.
  1. Which formula had the highest percentage of baking soda? Show your work and explain your choice.
  1. Write an algebraic equation to represent your top two solutions. You will need to create and identify a variable for your final product, and the unit of measurement you chose for each ingredient.

______4) Once you have determined your two ideal ratios, you will need to test your product. You will create 100 samples of each product for your taste test. For each drink, determine the amount of orange juice and baking soda that you will need to serve 100 people a one cup serving.

______5) The lab technician informs you that he only has gallon jugs of juice, and pints of baking soda. Determine how many gallon jugs of juice and pints of baking soda you will need to create 100 samples of each drink. (16 c = 1 gal; 1 pt = 32 tbsp; 1 tbsp = 3 tsp)

______6) Fabricate the results of your research. State the number of votes you received for each drink.

______7) Based on the results of your field test, choose one drink to mass market. Orange juice costs $3.99 per gallon, and baking soda costs $1.75 per pint. Determine the cost to produce 1,000 two-cup bottles of orange soda. Factor in 7% sales tax.

______8) Determine the price that you will sell each of your two-cup bottles of soda for.

______9) Now determine your net profit using the following formula.

Gross profit – manufacturing cost = net profit

Your gross profit is the total that you will receive for selling all 1,000 bottles. Your manufacturing cost is the amount you will pay the technician for the ingredients, plus $250 to make and package the soda. Your net profit is what you have left over to keep for yourself.

______10) Finally, decide if you need to adjust your selling price for each bottle of soda to increase your net profit, or if you are happy with the price you chose. If you need to adjust your sell price, re-do number 9.

Rationale for Design

Explain your reasoning and defend your product. Explain why you chose the ratio you did for your drink. Also, justify your price for your product. Is it reasonable for both you and the consumer? Explain.

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Score

Your score will be based on the accuracy of your computations,

and your application of ratios and proportions.

Step # / Task / Possible Points / Point(s) Earned
3a / Application: Ratio / 1
3b / Application: Percentage / 1
3c / Application: Equation / 1
4 / Ingredient quantities for trial / 2 (1 for each)
5 / Measurement conversions for trial / 2 (1 for each)
7 / Manufacturing costs / 1
9 / Gross Profit / 1
Rationale / Explain & Justify choices / 1

Total: ______