Dear Family,
Have you ever had to plan a large party—perhaps a family reunion, a wedding, 
or a community fundraiser? Planning for a large event can be quite a challenge. 
Recruiting your student to help with the planning provides a great opportunity 
for your student to use math skills.
For example, you could ask your student to figure out the following.

How much food is needed? Should you plan on just one portion per 
person, or multiple portions? Have your student write a rule (or 
equation) to determine the number of portions of food you need. Your 
student can write a rule even if you don’t know how many people will be 
attending when you first start planning.

Is the number of invitations needed equal to the number of people being 
invited? Have your student write a rule for the number of invitations 
you need and another rule for the cost of the postage.

Each table can probably seat 8 or 10 people. You’ll want to figure out how 
many tables you will need. Have your student write a math rule to 
determine this amount. 

How many tablecloths and table decorations will you need? If there will 
be serving tables, don’t forget about decorating those as well.
Event planners often say that about two-thirds to three-quarters of invitees 
can be counted on to attend. Work with your student on a strategy to guess 
how many people you think will actually attend. Then have your student use the 
rules they wrote to estimate the number of portions, invitations, tables, and 
decorations that will be needed for the event. 
Is your event a fundraiser? If so, figure out how much you will charge per 
person. Figure out how much you will spend on the whole event. Have your 
student write a rule to determine if you will make money for your cause.
You and your student can take satisfaction from your good planning—enjoy 
the event