| Items Sold | Total Profit Earned (Items × Profit per Item) | Startup Cost | Money in Pocket |
|---|
| 0 items | $0 earned | minus startup cost | -$ ________ |
| 2 items | 2 × $ _____ = $ _____ | minus startup cost | $ ________ |
| 4 items | 4 × $ _____ = $ _____ | minus startup cost | $ ________ |
| 6 items | 6 × $ _____ = $ _____ | minus startup cost | $ ________ |
| 8 items | 8 × $ _____ = $ _____ | minus startup cost | $ ________ |
| 10 items | 10 × $ _____ = $ _____ | minus startup cost | $ ________ |
5
Divide your startup cost by your profit per item to find how many sales you need to owe $0:
$ ________ (Startup Cost) ÷ $ ________ (Profit Per Item) =
Tip: Check your table above! Where does "Money in Pocket" reach $0?
Break-Even Sales
______ items
6
You and your partner want to earn $20 of pure profit to celebrate! Since all startup gear is already paid off at break-even, how many extra items must you sell to reach your $20 savings goal?
$20 savings goal ÷ $ _____ profit per item = ______ extra items
7
Fill in the blanks to pitch your venture to your class:
"Our business is called _______________________. We sell _______________________ for $_______ each, which gives us a profit of $_______ on every sale. We only need to sell _______ items to reach break-even!"
Startup Slope • 5th Grade Young Entrepreneurs Unit Page 2 of 2
Support / Striving Learners: Provide play money or counting chips to physically simulate paying $1 for supplies and depositing the $2 profit into a "payback jar" until startup costs are cleared.
Extension / Advanced Learners: Have students plot their table's ordered pairs (Items Sold, Net Cash) on a simple Quadrant 1 coordinate grid to see the straight diagonal line ("slope") climbing upward!
Startup Slope • 5th Grade Facilitation Guide Page 1 of 2
Comprehensive Answer Key
All 3 Venture Options
A. Sunshine Lemonade
1. Profit Per Cup: $3.00 price − $1.00 supply = $2.00 profit
2. Startup Supplies: $16.00 (pitcher & sign)
3. Break-Even Math: $16 ÷ $2 = 8 cups
4. Table Values (Net Cash): 0 cups: -$16
2 cups: -$12
4 cups: -$8
6 cups: -$4
8 cups: $0 (Break-Even!)
10 cups: +$4
5. $20 Savings Challenge: $20 ÷ $2 = 10 extra cups (18 cups total)
B. Friendship Bracelets
1. Profit Per Bracelet: $3.00 price − $1.00 supply = $2.00 profit
2. Startup Supplies: $20.00 (bead organizer kit)
3. Break-Even Math: $20 ÷ $2 = 10 bracelets
4. Table Values (Net Cash): 0 items: -$20
2 items: -$16
4 items: -$12
6 items: -$8
8 items: -$4
10 items: $0 (Break-Even!)
5. $20 Savings Challenge: $20 ÷ $2 = 10 extra bracelets (20 total)
C. Custom Stickers
1. Profit Per Pack: $4.00 price − $1.00 supply = $3.00 profit
2. Startup Supplies: $18.00 (paper punch & binder)
3. Break-Even Math: $18 ÷ $3 = 6 sticker packs
4. Table Values (Net Cash): 0 items: -$18
2 items: -$12
4 items: -$6
6 items: $0 (Break-Even!)
8 items: +$6
10 items: +$12
5. $20 Savings Challenge: $20 ÷ $3 = 6.67 → 7 extra packs (13 total)
A. Startup Cost: One-time money spent before making any sales.
B. Profit Per Sale: Price minus supply cost (the pattern addition rule).
C. Break-Even: The moment you owe $0 and all gear is paid off.
| Criteria | Proficient (3–4 pts) | Developing (1–2 pts) |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Profit & Pattern Rule | Accurately subtracts supply cost from selling price; correctly identifies the addition rule per sale. | Confuses selling price with profit or makes basic subtraction errors. |
| Table & Break-Even Math | Correctly fills pattern table and uses division (Startup Cost ÷ Profit) to pinpoint exact break-even units. | Difficulty applying pattern rule across table or calculating the break-even milestone. |
| Elevator Pitch & Reflection | Completes pitch using accurate numbers from their plan; articulates why their business is viable. | Leaves blanks unfilled or gives numbers that do not match their table calculations. |
Startup Slope • 5th Grade Master Solutions & Rubric Page 2 of 2
