Budget Battle Lesson Plan Budget Battle
Lesson Plan: Thanksgiving Feast
Grade 7
40 Minutes • Computer Lab / 1:1
Objective
Students will be able to create a Thanksgiving meal shopping list within a $150 budget using Google Sheets, apply basic formatting, and generate a chart to visualize expenses.
Why This Matters
Understanding how to budget and use spreadsheets are essential life skills. This lesson makes learning these skills fun and relevant by applying them to a real-world scenario: planning a delicious Thanksgiving meal without breaking the bank!
Materials
Budget Battle Slides
Feast Starter Warm-Up
Meal Planner Worksheet
Sheet Savvy Activity
Student devices
Google Accounts
Prep & Setup
Ensure all student devices can access Google Sheets.
Confirm students have active Google accounts.
Review all worksheet and slide materials for familiarity.
Consider preparing a blank Google Sheet template with columns pre-labeled (Item, Quantity, Estimated Price, Total Cost).
15 Minutes Prep
Lesson Timeline
5m
Warm-Up: The Thanksgiving Dilemma
Display the Warm-Up on the projector. Students brainstorm 3-5 essential items and estimate costs.
"If you only had $20 left for dessert, would you buy one expensive pie or ingredients to make three?"
5m
Briefing: The $150 Challenge
Use the Slide Deck to introduce the objective. Discuss why budgeting is a life skill and how spreadsheets act as a 'calculator on steroids'.
10m
Meal Planning & Brainstorming
Hand out the Meal Planner Worksheet . Students list items, quantities, and rough price estimates. This is their 'blueprint' before touching the computer.
15m
Workshop: Building the Spreadsheet
Students move to devices and follow the Sheet Savvy Activity guide:
Set up headers and input data.
Use =SUM and formulas (=B2*C2).
Apply conditional formatting (Red if > $150).
Create a visual cost breakdown chart.
5m
Wrap-Up & Reflection
Quick-fire sharing: Total budget and one 'luxury' item included. Discuss the hardest part of staying under $150.
Budget Battle Slides THANKSGIVING FEAST
BUDGET BATTLE
Can you create a delicious Thanksgiving meal...
Teacher Note: Welcome students and introduce the exciting challenge ahead. Set a fun, engaging tone.
Your Mission...
1
Plan a legendary Thanksgiving meal.
2
Budget for every single ingredient.
3
Use Google Sheets to track spending.
!
Stay under the $150 budget limit!
Teacher Note: Explain the objective clearly. Students should know exactly what they're aiming for.
Why Budget?
"Why is it important to know how to manage money? When might you need to budget in your own life?"
Financial Freedom
Smart Choices
Teacher Note: Prompt students to think about budgeting in real life and why it's a valuable skill.
Your Secret Weapon:
Google Sheets!
Organizing Lists
Math Done Automatically
Visualizing Data (Charts)
Budget Tracker Extraordinaire
Imagine a calculator that remembers everything you typed and draws a picture of it. That's a spreadsheet!
Teacher Note: Introduce Google Sheets as their primary tool. Briefly mention its power for organization.
Brainstorm Your Feast!
The Main
Turkey? Ham? Roast Tofurky?
The Sides
Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce?
The Sweet
Pumpkin Pie, Apple Tart, Pecan Bars?
Don't forget the little things: butter, milk, flour, sugar, and seasoning!
Teacher Note: Guide students to brainstorm meal ideas. Think about all the ingredients needed!
Let's Get Sheet-Savvy!
Open a new Google Sheet and create these Column Headers in Row 1:
Column A
Item
Column B
Quantity
Column C
Price ($)
Column D
Total Cost ($)
Teacher Note: Transition to hands-on. Walk them through setting up their spreadsheet columns.
Magic Formulas!
Item Total
Multiply Quantity by Price:
=B2 * C2
Grand Total
Add up the whole column:
=SUM(D2:D20)
Every formula starts with an = EQUAL SIGN
Teacher Note: Explain basic multiplication and the SUM function. Sheets does the hard work!
Feast Starter Warm-Up Feast Starter
Warm-Up Activity
Name:
Date:
Imagine you're in charge of planning Thanksgiving dinner! You have a budget to stick to, but for now, just think about the food. What makes a feast truly special?
1 Essential Items & Price Guesses
List 5 essential items you would buy and guess what they might cost at the store.
Thanksgiving Item Estimated Cost ($)
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2 The Budget Cut
If your total budget for the whole meal was $150 , what is one item you might have to cut out or find a cheaper alternative for to stay under budget? Why?
Think about: Are there "luxury" items vs "necessity" items on your list?
The Feast Blueprint Worksheet The Feast Blueprint
Meal Planning Worksheet
Name:
Budget: $150.00
Before you head to the computer, use this blueprint to plan your menu. List the items you want, how many of each you need, and your best guess at the price. Remember, you have a $150 hard limit for the entire meal!
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Pre-Flight Check
Main Dish Strategy:
Must-Have Side:
Sheet Savvy Skills Activity Sheet Savvy Skills
Google Sheets Activity Guide
Level: Intermediate
1
Setup Your Columns
Open a new Google Sheet and type these headers in Row 1:
A1: Item B1: Quantity C1: Price ($) D1: Total Cost ($)
Tip: Bold the headers and add a bottom border to make them pop!
2
The Math Magic (Formulas)
Total Cost per Item:
In cell D2 , type the formula to multiply quantity by price:
=B2*C2
The Grand Total:
At the bottom of Column D, use the SUM function to add everything up:
=SUM(D2:D20)
3
Formatting Challenges
Currency Formatting
Select Columns C and D. Click the $ icon in the toolbar.
Budget Alert!
Use Conditional Formatting on your Grand Total cell. Make the background RED if the value is greater than 150.
4
Data Viz Mastery
Create a chart to show where your money is going:
Highlight your Item and Total Cost data (Column A and Column D).
Click Insert > Chart .
Change the chart type to a Pie Chart or Bar Chart in the Chart Editor.
Give your chart a catchy title like "Where's the Money Going?"
Ready to submit? Check that your total is under $150!
Final Total:
