Algebra 1 Common Core Student Edition, Grade 8-9

Common Core Performance Task

Pl an n i n g f o r a Co n cessi o n St an d

The athletic boosters for a local college raise m oney by selling po p co rn at a
concession stand. They charge custom ers $2.25 p er box.

The popcorn m achine an d supplies (u n p o p p ed kernels, popping oil, an d butter)
are provided by a com pany th at charges a fee of $250 p er gam e plus $.15 p er box of
p opcorn sold. The boosters m ust supply their own em pty boxes to fill. Empty boxes
are sold in packages of various quantities, as show n in the table below.

Em p t y Popcorn Boxes

r

Number of Boxes per Package Price per Box 1

75 $.25

200 $.21

300 $.19

400 $.17

The boosters have 40 em pty boxes on h an d from the last gam e an d will n ee d to buy

m ore for the next game. They know from previous experience that they can expect

to sell no m ore th an 310 boxes at each game.

Task D escr i p t i o n

W hat is th e least n u m b e r of boxes of p o p co rn th a t th e athletic boosters can sell at the

next gam e to m ake a profit?

Co n n ect i n g t h e Task t o t h e M at h Pr act i ces

As you com plete th e task, y o u ’ll apply several S tandards for M athem atical

Practice.

• You'll use an inequality th at m odels th e n u m b e r of additional em pty po p co rn
  boxes n e e d e d for the next game. (MP 4)


• You’ll m anipulate sym bols th a t re p resen t q uantities to solve an inequality. (MP 2)

MATHEMATICAL

PRACTICES