Smart Choices for Ice Cream

Did you know that computers can learn to make decisions like humans?
Machine learning is a type of engineering where computers learn patterns from data to solve problems. Instead of being programmed step-by-step, they "train" on examples and figure out how to predict or decide things on their own. From predicting the weather to suggesting your favorite songs, machine learning is all around us

Your Task:
Imagine you’re working for an ice cream shop that wants to use machine learning to predict which flavors will be most popular on different days. Your challenge is to help the shop collect data and design a system to make predictions.

Step 1: Identify the Problem
Why does the shop want to predict flavor popularity?
Examples:
To avoid making too much of a flavor that doesn’t sell.
To make sure popular flavors don’t run out.

Step 2: Brainstorm Data to Collect
Think about what information the machine needs to learn patterns.
Examples:

Weather (hot days vs. cold days).
Day of the week (weekends might be busier).
Past sales of each flavor.

Step 3: Design a System
Describe how the machine learning system would work:

Input: What data will it use? (e.g., weather forecast, past sales).
Training: The computer will "learn" from past sales data to predict future sales.
Output: What predictions will it make? (e.g., "Chocolate will sell the most on a sunny Saturday.")

Step 4: Present Your Solution
Write a quick summary of your idea, including:

Why predicting flavors is helpful.
What data your system will use.
How the predictions will help the shop run better.