Decimali's Ristorante Decimal Classroom Transformation/Authentic Math Experience

Decimali's Ristorante is a Transformation Experience for students who are studying 5.NBT.7 (addition and subtraction of decimals to the hundredths). The scene is set by dimming the lights, putting some Sinatra on the speakers, and welcoming the students to Decimali's! They must order food while staying within a budget, then subtract to see how much change they will be getting back from their servers. There are 4 "courses": the beverage course has them placing items in order from greatest to least, the salad and main entrees have them completing word problems, and the final course is a written reflection about how they might use the addition and subtraction of decimals in the real world and how this activity has helped them understand the application of the topic.