One of the most common math problems I run into on a regular basis is how to modify a recipe according to the number of ingredients in my pantry.  I often decide to bake on a whim and don’t always have enough ingredients to complete the entire recipe.  Today I was starting a batch of my kids favorite blueberry muffins, but when I went to put in the eggs, I realized I only had 3 eggs and the recipe called for 4.  I could have went to the store, but it was 5 degrees outside and I wasn’t up for the trip.  So instead, I decided to modify the recipe to fit the parameters of 3 eggs.

Missouri Learning Standard(s) 5.NF.B.6, 5.NF.A.1.

CCSS 5.NF.B.3.

Act 1

What do you notice?  What do you wonder?

How much of each ingredient will I need to make the recipe using 3 eggs?

You can provide the recipe ingredients in Act 2 to have students do some estimation about what fraction of the ingredients will be needed?

Act 2

What information do you need to help you solve the problem?

Full Recipe

If scaffolding is needed you can use these pictures to help visualize fractions.

Act 3

Some of my pics didn’t turn out, so for now I just have amounts next to the pics of the ingredient.  I will fix this when I get a chance to take pics of the measurements:)