By the time you even get to systems of inequalities, it’s usually the last lesson in your systems unit. Your students have already spent days (or weeks) graphing, solving, substituting, eliminating… all the things.
And at that point? They’re kind of over it.
So instead of pushing through with one more worksheet or one more round of graphing practice, this is where I like to switch things up a bit and bring the energy back into the classroom. Because instead of trying to convince students that this math matters…I’d rather show them.
That’s exactly where this project comes in!
This is a collaborative party planning project where students apply systems of inequalities in a real-world way that actually makes sense. They’re not just graphing for the sake of graphing anymore. They’re making decisions, working within constraints, and figuring out what’s actually possible.
And one of my favorite parts? Everyone has a role.
Each student is responsible for their own piece of the project, which builds in that individual accountability, but they’re also working together as a group to create one final plan. It’s the kind of structure that keeps all students involved (no passengers!) while still giving you the benefits of collaborative learning.
It’s engaging, it’s meaningful, and honestly…it’s exactly what students need at that point in the unit.
Table of Contents
Student Handout
In this project, students take on the role of party planners. Their goal is to plan a class party, but (of course) there’s a catch…they have to stay within a budget AND make sure there’s enough for everyone. All of a sudden, math becomes very real.
The handout includes a clear overview, objectives, and step-by-step directions so students know exactly what they’re responsible for, both individually and as a group.
Objectives:
The GROUP is responsible for:
- Creating a party name and theme.
- Determining budgeted amount for each category.
- Ensuring there are enough items for the number of students and teacher(s).
- Combining all category totals and checking whether the overall budget is met.
- Answering the group summary questions.
Each STUDENT is responsible for:
- Researching prices and calculating cost per item for their category.
- Writing a system of inequalities for their category:
- One inequality for the minimum number of items needed.
- One inequality for the budget limit.
- Graphing the inequalities and determining a solution point (number of each item).
- Calculating the total cost for their category.
The real-world focus is event planning, which naturally connects to research, business, data analysis, and project management, while giving students a meaningful way to apply systems of linear inequalities.
By the end, they’ve created a full party plan backed by math, and they’re way more invested than you’d expect (especially when food is involved 😄).
Student Presentation Template
Next is the student presentation template (Google Slides and Powerpoint), which gives students a structured but flexible way to showcase their work. Students complete this digitally, but it can also be printed if you want to do a gallery walk, which is always a fun way to wrap up the project.
Each category follows the same format with space for tables, inequalities, graphs, and reflection questions, so students stay organized and know exactly what is expected. At the same time, the design is intentionally clean and consistent, while still giving students the ability to personalize their slides with images and their party theme, which really helps with engagement.
Because everything is already laid out for them, students can focus on the math and their decisions instead of worrying about formatting or what to include next.
Teacher-Ready Presentation & Example Project
To make implementation as smooth as possible, there is a teacher presentation included to introduce the project and walk students through each step.
It includes:
- Clear directions
- Project expectations
- Guidance for each part of the activity
There is also a completed example so students can see what a strong final product looks like. This helps eliminate confusion and gives students a clear goal to work toward.
Extension: Survey Activity
One optional part of this project is the Item Selection Survey. In this extension, students go around and survey their classmates, record preferences using tallies, and then recalculate quantities and costs based on real data.
This is more challenging, because students have to revisit their inequalities and budgets, but it’s also where the real-world connection really clicks. Surveying your audience and adjusting plans based on feedback mirrors how real event planning works, so this is a great option for classes ready for that extra layer.
Comprehensive Answer Keys & Rubrics
Finally, let’s talk about the rubric and answer key, which are designed to make grading fast and manageable.
The rubric is designed to assess individual student work, with one section for the overall group category, so you can fairly evaluate both collaboration and individual accountability.
The answer key includes a spreadsheet where you can enter a group’s data, and the calculations automatically update. This makes it easy to check totals, budgets, and whether inequalities are actually satisfied.
Together, these tools help ensure accuracy while saving you a lot of time!
Watch the Systems of Inequalities Project in Action
If you want a more in-depth look at the Party Planning: Feast Within Your Means – Systems of Linear Inequalities Project, watch the video below. Watching the video makes it easy to see how the project flows from start to finish and how students engage with real data while staying focused on the math. Plus, it’s a great way to visualize how to introduce the project in your own classroom so your students can dive right in.
Ready to Try This Real-World Project?
This project is the perfect way to end a systems unit. It takes a topic that can feel repetitive and turns it into something engaging and meaningful. Students are not just solving systems of inequalities, they are using them to make decisions.
They are thinking about budgets, quantities, and trade-offs. They are adjusting their plans, justifying their choices, and seeing how math actually applies to real situations.
It is hands-on, collaborative, and structured in a way that keeps all students involved. And honestly…the conversations alone make it worth it!
Click on the image below to check out the project:
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