Car Manufacturing: Startup Math Challenge

🚗Car Manufacturing: A Paired Learning Math Competition Lab

Overview

This is an interactive, fast-paced, and highly engaging paired learning simulation where students run a virtual electric vehicle manufacturing startup. Over the course of this competition, students will apply real-world math to make strategic decisions, collaborate with a partner, and race against the clock to generate the most revenue through 10 production cycles.

This lab transforms your classroom into a dynamic startup environment where math is applied under pressure, teamwork is essential, and decision-making drives success.

Engaging Storyline

Students are hired as the founding team of a new electric vehicle startup—Industry Inc.

They are given a $100,000 investment to kickstart production. Their goal is to build and sell as many vehicles as possible across 10 production cycles.

Each cycle, students:

1. Determine how many vehicles they can afford to build.
2. Allocate the budget across six vehicle components.
3. Select the most profitable sales agent from four options (each with different conditions).
4. Earn revenue and use it as the budget for the next cycle.

Meanwhile, a real-time leaderboard tracks the total revenue of each team—creating energy, urgency, and a powerful classroom-wide competitive dynamic.

Collaborative Format: Paired Learning

Students work in teams of two.

Each student is responsible for three of the six components, encouraging division of labor, shared accountability, and peer verification. Collaboration is built into every activity—from budgeting to choosing sales agents to reflecting on teamwork at the end.

Execution Plan & Timing

This lab is designed to be run over two classroom periods (45–50 minutes each):

📅 Day 1: Introduction & Team Setup (One Class Period)

Present the challenge storyline and walk students through the context.

Let students run the Introduction Section, where they:

• Understand the business model.
• Meet their teammate and assign roles.
• Calculate the total cost to build one vehicle.
• Learn about how the challenge will work.

📅 Day 2: Competition Day (One Class Period)

• Begin with the Leaderboard Presentation section. Teachers are encouraged to display the real-time leaderboard on a large screen.
• Manually enable all 10 cycles from the teacher console.
• Give students 30–40 minutes to progress through the cycles at their own pace.
• Not all teams may finish all 10 cycles, and that’s okay.
• The goal is to generate as much revenue as possible before time runs out.
• During the cycles, encourage collaboration, speed, and accuracy.

⏳ Final 10 Minutes

• Have students complete the Wrap-Up Section, which includes:
• A reflection prompt on teamwork and strategy.
• A feedback survey to share their experience.

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lab, students will:

• Apply math skills to calculate production costs and percentages.
• Use proportional reasoning to determine quantities and allocate budgets.
• Analyze sales options using real-world commission structures and fees.
• Collaborate effectively with a partner to divide work and verify accuracy.
• Experience how math is used in business decision-making and resource planning.
• Work under a timed environment that simulates real-world constraints.

📈 Why Teachers Love This Lab

• Engagement soars with the live leaderboard and business competition.
• Collaboration is authentic—students must communicate and verify math.
• Math is applied meaningfully in a simulated real-world context.
• Flexible classroom execution—can be done over two days with minimal setup.
• Perfect for reinforcing standards in a way that’s exciting and memorable.

📦 What’s Included

• Introduction & Storyline Section
• Total Vehicle Cost Calculation Activity
• Role Assignment & Team Setup
• 10 Real-Time Production Cycles
• Agent Selection and Revenue Optimization Activities
• Live Leaderboard (auto-updated)
• Final Reflection Writing Prompt
• Student Feedback Survey
• Full Teacher Guides & Tips

Turn your classroom into a startup. Let math drive the business.

Industry Inc. is where strategy, teamwork, and numbers collide.

Ready to launch your student entrepreneurs? 🚀