Fifth Graders Dive Into Tasty Math with Chick-fil-A Simulation

A group of fifth-grade math students turned their classroom into a bustling Chick-fil-A restaurant as part of a dynamic math lesson designed to reinforce real-world skills.

Under the guidance of their teacher Chad Wooden, students participated in a Chick-fil-A Simulation, blending academic learning with practical life skills.

This engaging project was a real-world look at how math principles like addition and subtraction affect us each day. Students became restaurant workers and customers, allowing them to apply math concepts in a realistic and interactive setting.

The classroom mirrored a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Students acting as workers set menu prices, cooked food, took orders, delivered meals, and even managed receipts without the help of calculators.

Their customers—fellow classmates—had to navigate their $15.99 Chick-fil-A gift cards to purchase meals to feed imaginary families without exceeding their balance. Students also learned about Chick-fil-A’s history, from its logo timeline to its famous mascots, sparking lively discussions around their simulated “family tables.”

“This project brought math to life for the students,” said Wooden. “Instead of just solving equations on paper, they were actively engaged in applying decimals and making real-world decisions.”

Fifth-grader Caleb Hardin summed up the experience, saying, “Everything was my favorite. I liked how the room actually looked like Chick-fil-A. It wasn’t like we had to do math at all!”

Students practiced critical life skills, including problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. The project embodied key elements of the school’s Learner Profile, fostering students as Resilient Problem Solvers, Life-Long Learners, and Responsible Individuals. It also highlighted their roles as Collaborative Communicators and Engaged Citizens, teaching them how to work together, interact respectfully, and connect their studies to broader societal contexts.

Before the activity, Wooden introduced lessons on restaurant etiquette, emphasizing professional behavior as workers and polite interactions as customers.

As workers, students also learned about the demands of the job, such as managing orders efficiently, solving issues like incorrect totals, and maintaining a positive attitude with phrases like “My pleasure!” Customers practiced budgeting and decision-making, ensuring their orders stayed within the limits of their gift cards.

To cap off the experience, Aaron Flanagan, General Manager of Chick-fil-A in Elizabethtown, visited the class. Flanagan shared insights on how math plays a vital role in running a successful restaurant, from managing inventory to balancing budgets. Students asked questions, connecting classroom lessons with real-world applications.

The success of this immersive project was made possible by Chick-fil-A of Elizabethtown, whose support helped bring the simulation to life.

“This project was a perfect blend of academics and life skills,” Wooden reflected. “The students not only mastered decimals but also experienced the challenges and rewards of teamwork and responsibility in the workplace.”

For the fifth graders, the lesson was more than just math—it was an unforgettable glimpse into the real world.