Black Friday Math

Yes, Thanksgiving is on its way. Despite the fact that many Americans are eagerly awaiting the time of year when we stop to reflect upon what are grateful for, a goodly number of our fellow citizens are contemplating the day that follows. You know what I'm talking about--the annual After Thanksgiving Sale. That's right, they're thinking less about thanking and more about Black Friday shopping. Sad to say, buying Christmas gifts on the day after Thanksgiving has become a tradition. What a lot of people don't know, however, is that this year, sales information for a number of national chains have been leaked to the public. Yep. Yep. Anyone can look and see what deals are being touted by a number of well-know stores. Here's a timely suggestion that acknowledges the reality of consumerism and incorporates math: suppose you asked students to (1) use a random number generator to create a number and multiply that number by 100 (we'll pretend this is the cash amount they have to spend when shopping); (2) look through a Black Friday list; (3) use a spreadsheet template to compare the prices of 10 items that they'd like to purchase for themselves or others. Given the cost of an item, the spreadsheet automatically calculates the amount of time needed to earn that item (if we suppose the student is making $5.15 an hour earning minimum wage). This little exercise is meant to be a springboard for discussion. Any math teachers out there want to add to the activity? Post your suggestions.