Food Truck Using Expressions & Functions

Curbside: A Grade 8 Food Truck Math Lab (Expressions, Equations & Functions)

Turn linear functions into a real business decision. In Curbside, each student becomes the owner of a food truck and answers the one question every owner asks: will this actually make money? Across seven connected, interactive worksheets, students build their entire business model with math and finish by making a real go or no-go launch decision, backed by their own numbers.

Unlike static practice sheets, every Curbside worksheet is a live, spreadsheet-powered model. When a student changes an input, the numbers, tables, and graphs recalculate instantly, and answers are validated on the spot. Students learn by manipulating variables and watching what happens, which builds genuine understanding of how expressions, equations, and functions work in the real world.

What students do

• Write and interpret a revenue function from a price per meal
• Build a cost function with fixed and variable costs, and see the line lift off zero
• Solve for the break-even point where revenue meets cost
• Construct a profit function and apply it across six real months of sales
• Compare their business against two rival trucks shown as a table and a graph
• Explore a marketing curve and discover why spending more is not always worth it
• Make a final, evidence-based launch recommendation

Why teachers choose Curbside

• Fully auto-graded with immediate feedback and per-question scoring
• Real-time teacher dashboard shows who started, who finished, and who is stuck
• One connected storyline, so the math never feels like seven separate drills
• Realistic prices and scenarios sized for U.S. middle school students
• Flexible to run as a one to two day capstone or one worksheet per lesson
• Supplements your existing curriculum rather than replacing it

Common Core standards covered

• 8.EE.B.5, 8.EE.B.6 (proportional relationships, slope, and the y-intercept)
• 8.EE.C.7, 8.EE.C.8 (solving linear equations and systems)
• 8.F.A.1, 8.F.A.2, 8.F.A.3 (defining, comparing, and classifying functions)
• 8.F.B.4, 8.F.B.5 (modeling and describing linear and nonlinear functions)

Grade level: 8 (works as a first application of linear functions or a rich review unit)

Format: 7 interactive, auto-graded ActiveLearningSheets plus intro slides and a teacher guide

Prep time: Minimal. Assign it, open your dashboard, and go.

Give students a reason to care about the math they are already learning. With Curbside, expressions, equations, and functions stop being abstract and start being the tools that decide whether a business succeeds.