"Let's Go Buying!": Free Interactive Whiteboard Lesson

Calculating sales tax is both a great math lesson and a super-relevant real-life activity. And we just made it more fun and easier to teach with this “Let’s Go Shopping!” lesson for your interactive whiteboard. Best of all, it’s ready to teach right out of the gate. Check it out!

What’s covered in the “Let’s Go Shopping!” lesson?

You’ll introduce the lesson by comparing how it’s possible for three cousins in different states to all pay a different amount for the same video game (hint: it’s sales tax!). You’ll walk students through a sample receipt and do some calculations together. Finally, students will have the opportunity to “shop” for different items, with the goal of staying under $50 (including sales tax, naturally). There’s even a written reflection exit ticket!

How do I teach the lesson?

1. Download the PowerPoint or make a copy of the Google Slides.
2. Project the lesson onto your screen or interactive whiteboard.
3. Follow the Presenter Notes at the bottom of each slide. This is where your lesson plan “lives.” In the notes, we’ll tell you what to do, what to say, what questions to ask, and what directions to give as the lesson progresses.
4. If you do have an interactive whiteboard, you can type or write right in the boxes on Slide 5. (Note: for this to work, you must be in Editor and not Presenter mode.)
5. For student independent practice on Slides 6 and 7 and the exit ticket, you can have students do their work in a math journal or make their own copy in Google Slides and type right into the boxes!

Download the PowerPoint File

Get the Google Slides Link