The document outlines a 7th grade project-based learning unit where students work in teams to plan a day trip to Carowinds amusement park. The objectives are for students to gain experience researching and planning the trip while applying math skills. Each student is assigned a teammate role, such as map expert, car rental expert, or travel expert. They must work together to determine the best route, rental car, gas prices, and park admission to present their dream day at Carowinds. Requirements include creating charts, equations, and determining total trip costs. The rubric evaluates the team's understanding of math concepts, organization, use of technology, collaboration, and acceptable digital submission formats.

1. 7th
Grade PBL Unit 1: Dream Day at Carowinds
www.thatmathlady.com © 2013
Unit PBL Objectives
• Students will gain experience in researching and planning a day-trip to a local amusement park, and work
as a team (up to 4 teammates) to locate information to create a team presentation.
• Students will use math skills acquired to successfully “rent” the best car available to the amusement park
and back home.
• Students will use math skills acquired to calculate mileage, fuel usage, and the price of the trip as well as
admittance to the park (and a food allowance).
Math Standards
7.RP.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities. (Use a table or graph to
show the relationship between the price of the rental car and its gas mileage.)
7.EE.3 Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational
numbers in any form (whole numbers, fractions, and decimals), using tools strategically. (Determine
the best price for gasoline, rental car, theme park admission, and food allowance.)
7.EE.4 Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and
construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.
(Create an equation that will determine the price of total trip including cost of car, cost of gasoline,
admission to Carowinds.)
Student Teammate Roles
Map Expert (Cartographer) – Determines best route (time & mileage) from Druid Hills Academy to
Carowinds.
Car Rental Expert – Determines best car rental agency and vehicle for trip to Carowinds.
Travel Expert – Analyzes rental cars’ mpg (miles per gallon), fuel tank size, and current price of gas.
Lead Travel Agent – Finds the best price available for admission per person into Carowinds theme park,
assists teammates in researching information, leads the team in compiling information in a final
presentation.
Unit Pacing Guide
Day 1: Introduction and Student Role Selection: Student teams will be introduced to their new task
(planning a day at Carowinds), will engage in a teambuilding activity, and will assign themselves roles.
Day 2: Begin Research
Day 3: Conclude Research
Day 4: Team Meeting: Teams will meet to finalize their research findings and ensure their project meets
the requirements on the rubric.
Day 5: Team Presentations (Portfolio Artifact #1)
Student Teammate Role: Map Expert (Cartographer)

2. 7th
Grade PBL Unit 1: Dream Day at Carowinds
www.thatmathlady.com © 2013
A cartographer is a person who specializes in making maps. The word may derive from the word cartography, the
art and process of making maps.
Goal: Your main goal, as the map expert, is to find the best route from Druid Hills Academy to Carowinds. You will
create a chart (like the one below) to display at least 3 various routes, the mileage for one-way travel, and
estimated time of travel. You will also be required to calculate the estimated miles per minute. (Keep in mind a
higher mile/min ratio may mean more freeway driving and less stop-and-go, which is ultimately ideal to save on
gasoline.)
Secondly, you are required, with your team’s assistance, to determine the best route for your trip with
mathematical reasons to support your choice.
Your sub goals are the following: share your research with your team, help your teammates accomplish their goals,
and assist the Lead Travel Agent in your group display all of your information in a presentation format.
Your teacher suggests you use the following website sources to help you accomplish your main goal:
– Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/)
– Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/)
– Bing Maps (http://www.bing.com/maps/)
– Yahoo Maps (http://maps.yahoo.com/)
Sample Chart:
Travel Options from Druid Hills Academy to UNC Charlotte
Route Miles (One-way)
Estimated Time (One-
way)
Estimated Miles
per Minute
Source
Graham St./I-
85/Mallard Creek
9.8 miles 15 minutes 0.65 mile/min Google Maps
N. Tryon St./Old
Concord Rd.
8.2 miles 16 minutes 0.51 mile/min Google Maps
Graham St./I-
85/University City
Blvd.
7.7 miles 13 minutes 0.59 mile/min Bing Maps
N. Tryon St./University
City Blvd.
8.3 miles 16 minutes 0.52 mile/min Yahoo Maps
Use these addresses in your research:
Druid Hills: 2801 Lucena St., Charlotte, NC 28206
Carowinds: 14523 Carowinds Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28273

3. 7th
Grade PBL Unit 1: Dream Day at Carowinds
www.thatmathlady.com © 2013
Student Teammate Role: Car Rental Expert
Goal: The Car Rental Expert’s main goal is “renting a vehicle” from a well-known, yet local, car rental company. You
must consider the price of the vehicle for a one-day rental, the fuel efficiency of that vehicle (highway and city),
and passenger capacity (4 persons). Secondly, you and the Travel Expert will work together to write an equation to
determine the best price given the multiple variables and then use your formula to determine the best vehicle to
rent.
Your sub goals include the following: share your research with your team, help your teammates accomplish their
goals, and assist the Lead Travel Agent in your group display all of your information in a presentation format.
Considerations: Rental cost, vehicle’s fuel efficiency (miles per gallon), rental car pickup location (within 5 miles of
Druid Hills’s zip code).
Your teacher suggests you use the following website sources to help you accomplish your main goal:
– Enterprise (http://www.enterprise.com)
– Kayak (http://www.kayak.com/cars)
– Hertz (http://www.hertz.com)
– Cars.com (http://www.cars.com) This may be used to locate car mpg.
While researching vehicles for rental, look up one day rentals. Pickup and rental dates and times should reflect
realistic times (i.e. between 7 AM and 8 PM) and span no longer than a 24-hour period. For example, if you rent a
car at 10 AM on Monday, Sept. 9
th
, then the car must be returned by 10 AM on Tuesday, Sept. 10
th
.
Sample Equation:
Car Cost = Rental Price + [(Trip Miles/Car MPG)(Price of Gas/Gallon)]
Items to include in your team’s presentation:
– Car make/model that your team has chosen to rent
– “Rental” information (date/time of pickup and drop off)
– Location of rental car company
– Equation
– Use of your equation to determine the total cost of the rental car and travel

4. 7th
Grade PBL Unit 1: Dream Day at Carowinds
www.thatmathlady.com © 2013
Student Teammate Role: Travel Expert
Goal: The Travel Expert must analyze the fuel efficiency of the vehicle that has been rented and estimate the
amount of gas that will be needed to drive round-trip from Druid Hills to Carowinds. Then, the Travel Expert will
find the best prices for gasoline in the Charlotte area and report his or her findings. Secondly, you and the Car
Rental Expert will work together to write an equation to determine the best price given the multiple variables and
then use your formula to determine the best vehicle to rent.
Your sub goals include the following: share your research with your team, help your teammates accomplish their
goals, and assist the Lead Travel Agent in your group display all of your information in a presentation format.
Considerations: The vehicle’s mpg (miles per gallon), fuel tank size, and current price of gas at locations on your
route. NOTE: Gas stations in your presentation MUST be located along the route your team decided to take.
Your teacher suggests you use the following website sources to help you accomplish your main goal:
– GasBuddy (http://www.gasbuddy.com/)
– AAA Fuel Price Finder (http://carolinas.aaa.com/Travel/triptiks/Pages/Fuel-Information.aspx)
– Motor Trend (http://www.motortrend.com/new_cars/)
Sample Equation:
Car Cost = Rental Price + [(Trip Miles/Car MPG)(Price of Gas/Gallon)]
Items to include in your team’s presentation:
– Current price of gasoline at 3 locations along your team’s chosen route
– Estimation of total cost of gasoline needed for your roundtrip journey
– Equation
– Use of your equation to determine the total cost of the rental car and travel

5. 7th
Grade PBL Unit 1: Dream Day at Carowinds
www.thatmathlady.com © 2013
Student Teammate Role: Lead Travel Agent
Goal: The Lead Travel Agent is responsible for the following: researching admission costs to Carowinds (including
searching deals that may reduce the cost), and lead the team in compiling all of the information from this team
project into a presentation format (see rubric for details).
Your sub goals include the following: share your research with your team and help your teammates accomplish
their goals.
Considerations: You are seeking the most inexpensive admission to the park for you and your teammates.
Your teacher suggests you use the following website sources to help you accomplish your main goal:
– Carowinds (https://www.carowinds.com/)
– AAA Carolinas (http://carolinas.aaa.com/Discounts/Pages/Find-Discounts.aspx)
Please refer to the rubric to ensure your team meets all of the project requirements for Dream Day at Carowinds.

6. 7th
Grade PBL Unit 1: Dream Day at Carowinds
www.thatmathlady.com © 2013
Team Project Rubric
Dream Day at Carowinds Project Rubric
5 (Excellent) 4 (Satisfactory) 3 (Unsatisfactory) 2 (Incomplete)
Criteria
Math Content
Knowledge
Students demonstrate ability
to comprehend and analyze
math standards by including
required charts, equations,
and use of the equation to
formulate expenses;
students include
explanations and elaboration
(more than required).
Students
demonstrate
basic
understanding of
math standards
via inclusion of
required charts
and equations
(and use of
equations in
planning their
trip).
Students
demonstrate
adequate
understanding of
1-2 of the three
math standards.
(Charts and
equations may
contain 1-2 math
errors.)
Students
demonstrate a
lack of
understanding
of the math
standards, either
by excluding
charts/equations
or using them
incorrectly to
determine
expenses.
Organization of
Information
Students present
information in logical,
interesting sequence which
audience can follow. A total
cost of a Dream Day at
Carowinds is given at the
conclusion of the
presentation.
Students present
information in
logical sequence
which audience
can follow.
Audience has
difficulty
following
presentation
because
information lacks
flow and
sequence.
Audience cannot
understand
presentation
because there is
no sequence of
information.
21
st
Century
Presentation
Students use one of the
technological formats to
present information and
submit the team
presentation 100% digitally
(paperless).
Students use
classroom
supplies to
present
information and
takes pictures to
submit a digital
copy of their
work.
Students use
classroom
supplies (posters,
coloring supplies,
etc.) to present
project
information.
No presentation
of information is
given.
Team
Communication
All teammates put forth
extraordinary effort to work
interdependently, as well as
independently, to solve math
problems and gather
information; team
communicates as necessary
with teacher regarding team
needs.
Teammates
collaborate
successfully to
create a complete
presentation.
Most of the
teammates
collaborate
successfully and
put forth an
effort toward a
complete
presentation.
Teammates do
not
communicate
with each other
or with the
teacher.
Acceptable
Presentation
Formats
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Word (Pdf)
Prezi.com
Slideshare.net
Digital video/photo
You may submit your presentation to your
teacher’s e-mail address, via Edmodo, Google
Docs, or to your teacher’s Dropbox account.