Looking for a real-world functional math activity that teaches students how to make purchases in the school cafeteria using the Dollar Up strategy? This cafeteria-themed resource is perfect for special education classrooms working on money skills, life skills, and transition goals.
 
What Is the Dollar Up Strategy?
The Dollar Up method helps students learn how to pay for items by rounding the price up to the next whole dollar. For example, if lunch costs $2.25, students will round up to $3.00 to ensure they have enough money to pay without needing exact change. This is a foundational skill for independent living and a great way to build confidence with real-world spending!
 
What’s Included:
✅ 24 Cafeteria-Themed Dollar Up Puzzles- Match cafeteria items (like pizza, chips, and milk) to their rounded-up prices!
✅ Counting On Strips- Practice counting on from 5 to learn how to mix $5 and $1 bills
Cafeteria Menu & Hands On Activity- Identify the price and pay for the item(s) using Dollar Up
✅ Sample IEP Goals & Data Sheet- For easy progress monitoring and data based decisions
✅ Recording Sheet- Helps track student answers and provides work samples for data collection
✅ File Folder Labels- Turn puzzles into independent work tasks or workstation activities
✅ Visual Supports- Number lines and anchor charts to support student learning
 
Perfect For:
Special education classrooms
Life skills programs
Middle and high school functional math
IEP goal practice
Independent work tasks or math centers
Transition service
Community-based instruction prep
 
IEP Alignment:
This resource supports functional math IEP goals, such as:
Given a price written as a decimal, the student will round up to the nearest dollar and determine the amount of money needed to make a purchase, with 80% accuracy in structured tasks.
 
Teacher Tip:
Pair this resource with play money or cafeteria trays for role-play activities!