Grade 6 Math WebQuest · Unit 6 · 6.EE.A.1–4

The Glow Night Pricing Lab

Your middle school is throwing Glow Night — an after-dark carnival with neon booths, a glowing light grid, and snack stands. The student council just hired your data team to run the Pricing Lab. Booth prices change with the number of players, the light grid grows in powers, and two suppliers are fighting over your bulk order. Your job: write the expressions, plug in the numbers, and find the smartest deal.

⏱ 2–3 class periods ✏️ Write & evaluate expressions ⚡ Powers & exponents 🟰 Distributive property

Welcome to the Pricing Lab

A carnival looks like chaos, but a data team sees patterns. Every booth charges by a rule. Every string of lights follows a power. Every supplier deal hides inside an expression. An algebraic expression is a math rule that uses a letter (a variable) to stand for a number that can change — like the number of players, p. Learn to read these rules and you can price the whole carnival before it even opens.

The Driving Question

How can writing and evaluating algebraic expressions — and using powers and the distributive property — let you predict cost before anything is built?

Level 1 · Support A variable is a letter that holds a number you do not know yet. To evaluate means to put the number in for the letter and do the math. Example: if 3p and p = 4, then 3p = 3 × 4 = 12. En español: Una variable es una letra que guarda un número que aún no conoces. Evaluar significa poner el número en lugar de la letra y calcular. Si 3p y p = 4, entonces 3p = 12.
Level 2 · Enrichment Two expressions can look different but always give the same value — we call them equivalent. The distributive property is your proof tool: 6(p + 2) and 6p + 12 are equivalent for every value of p. As you work, look for chances to rewrite an expression into a faster-to-use equivalent form.

The Task

By the end of this WebQuest, your data team will submit a Glow Night Pricing Report. A complete report must:

  • Write an algebraic expression for the Ring Toss booth's cost rule.
  • Evaluate that expression for two different player counts.
  • Use a power (exponent) to find how many bulbs the neon light grid needs.
  • Use the order of operations to total a snack stand combo.
  • Use the distributive property to choose the cheaper of two supplier deals — and prove the two forms are equivalent.
  • Pass the Check Your Understanding self-check at the bottom.
Map of the four Glow Night stations: Ring Toss, Light Grid, Snack Stand, and Supplier Desk Ring Toss Light Grid Snack Stand a(b+c) Supplier Desk

The Process

Work through the four stations in order. Each station builds one part of your Pricing Report.

Station 1 — Write the Ring Toss rule

The Ring Toss booth charges a $5 setup fee, plus $3 for every player. Let p = the number of players. Your job is to turn this rule into an expression, then evaluate it.

Build the expression:

"$3 for every player" → 3p. Add the $5 setup fee → cost expression = 3p + 5.

Evaluate for p = 10 players:

3p + 5 = 3 × 10 + 5 = 30 + 5 = $35

Level 1 · Support "Per player" or "for every player" means multiply by p. A flat "fee" that happens only once means add a number. Write the multiply part first, then add the one-time fee. En español: "por jugador" significa multiplicar por p. Una "cuota" fija que pasa una sola vez significa sumar un número.

Station 2 — Power up the light grid

The neon light grid is a square of bulbs. The crew can make it n bulbs wide and n bulbs tall. The total number of bulbs is n × n, which we write as the power n² ("n squared"). For a grid that is 5 bulbs on each side, you need 5² = 5 × 5 = 25 bulbs.

Keep this powers reference open while you work:

2³= 2·2·2 = 8
3²= 3·3 = 9
4²= 4·4 = 16
5²= 5·5 = 25
2⁴= 2·2·2·2 = 16
10²= 10·10 = 100
Level 2 · Enrichment Watch the trap: 5² is not 5 × 2 = 10. The little number (the exponent) tells you how many times to use the base as a factor, not what to multiply by. Predict: if the crew also stacks the grid n bulbs deep, the rule becomes n³ — how many bulbs for a 4-deep cube?

Station 3 — Total the snack combo (order of operations)

A "Glow Combo" is 1 drink for $2 plus 3 glow-bracelets at $4 each. The cost expression is 2 + 3 × 4. Use the order of operations: multiply before you add.

Worked example — Glow Combo:

2 + 3 × 4 = 2 + 12 = $14  (NOT 5 × 4 = 20)

Station 4 — Use the distributive property at the Supplier Desk

Two suppliers want your bulk order of glow kits. Each kit holds a $6 wristband and a $2 token. You need k kits.

Use the distributive property to expand Supplier A's rule, then compare the two expressions for the same number of kits.

Worked example — distribute Supplier A:

6(k + 2) = 6 × k + 6 × 2 = 6k + 12

Now both rules share the 6k part, so you only have to compare the constants: +12 (Supplier A) vs. +8 (Supplier B). Supplier B is cheaper by $4 for any number of kits.

Level 1 · Support The distributive property means: the number outside the parentheses multiplies everything inside. Draw arrows from the 6 to the k AND from the 6 to the 2. Multiply both, then add. En español: la propiedad distributiva significa que el número de afuera multiplica todo lo de adentro: 6(k + 2) = 6k + 12.

Resources

Use these Neft Teacher tools as you work. They open in the same window — use your back button to return.

Unit 6 · 3D Expression BuilderSnap tiles into expressions and watch them evaluate live. Expression Architect ActivityPractice writing, evaluating, and distributing step by step. Unit 6 Math HubLessons on powers, expressions, and properties. Math Writing Help · EN/ESSentence frames and bilingual vocabulary support.

Key vocabulary · Vocabulario clave

Expression / Expresión

A math rule with numbers, operations, and at least one variable. No equals sign.

Variable / Variable

A letter that stands for a number that can change.

Power / Potencia

A base and an exponent: 5³ = 5·5·5. The exponent counts the factors.

Distributive / Distributiva

Multiply the outside number by every term inside the parentheses.

Evaluation

Your Glow Night Pricing Report will be scored on this rubric.

Criteria 4 · Lead Analyst 3 · Analyst 2 · Trainee 1 · Getting started
Writing expressions Both rules written correctly with the right variable. One rule fully correct. Attempts a rule with errors. No expression written.
Evaluating All substitutions correct, work shown. Most substitutions correct. Some substitution errors. No correct evaluation.
Powers & order of ops Exponents and order of operations both correct. One small slip (e.g., 5² counted once). Confuses exponent with multiply. Not attempted.
Distributive property Expands correctly and proves equivalence. Expands correctly; weak proof. Partial distribution. Not attempted.
Reasoning & decision Picks cheaper supplier with clear evidence. Picks a supplier with some evidence. Brief or unclear reasoning. No explanation.
Teacher Notes & Answer Key (not printed)

Glow Night · Pricing Report — pairs with the Evaluation rubric above.

Sample Answers — Glow Night Pricing Report

  • Ring Toss expression: $5 setup + $3 per player → 3p + 5.
  • Evaluate for p = 10: 3 × 10 + 5 = $35 (also evaluate a second player count, e.g. p = 6 → $23).
  • Light grid power: a 5 × 5 grid is 5² = 25 bulbs; show 2³ = 8 and 3² = 9 as warm-ups.
  • Snack combo (order of operations): evaluate the combo using PEMDAS — exponents/multiplication before addition.

Facilitation

  • Write the multiply part first (3p, not p3) and keep the constant as a separate term.
  • An exponent is repeated multiplication: 5² = 5 × 5, NOT 5 × 2.

Standard

CCSS 6.EE.A.1–2.

Check Your Understanding

Answer all six. Click Check My Answers when you are done. These match the four stations of your report.

1.The Ring Toss charges a $5 setup fee plus $3 per player (p). Write the cost expression. (Type it like 3p+5.)
Hint / Pista: "$3 per player" → 3p; the $5 fee is added once.
2.Evaluate 3p + 5 when p = 10 players. What is the cost in dollars?
Hint / Pista: Multiply 3 × 10 first, then add 5.
3.The light grid is a square that is 5 bulbs on each side. Using the power 5², how many bulbs are needed?
Hint / Pista: 5² = 5 × 5, not 5 × 2.
4.A Glow Combo is 1 drink for $2 plus 3 bracelets at $4 each: 2 + 3 × 4. What is the total cost?
Hint / Pista: Multiply before you add.
5.Supplier A's rule is 6(k + 2). Which expression is equivalent (uses the distributive property correctly)?
6.Supplier A = 6(k + 2) = 6k + 12. Supplier B = 6k + 8. For any number of kits, which supplier is cheaper and why?

Conclusion

You did what real data analysts, event planners, and engineers do every day: you turned plain-language rules into algebraic expressions, plugged in numbers to predict cost, used powers to scale a design, and used the distributive property to spot the smarter deal. Glow Night is priced, the lights are ordered, and your data team made the call — Supplier B saves $4 on every order.

Take it further · Level 2

The council adds a $20 sound-system fee shared across all booths. Rewrite the Ring Toss rule as 3p + 5 + 20 and combine the constants. What is the new flat fee?

Reflect · Reflexiona

Which station tricked you the most — the power (5²) or the order of operations? Explain in 2–3 sentences. ¿Cuál estación fue la más difícil y por qué?

Real careers · Carreras reales

Event budget planners, app developers, and store pricing analysts all write and evaluate expressions to predict cost — exactly the skill you just used.