creating a monthly budget – lesson plan – day...

Mike DillonUniversity of Phoenix

Integrating Educational Technology in the ClassroomCMP 540

James Laub, Facilitator12-19-05

Week 6

Creating a monthly budget is an application of mathematics that many people use in the real world. Budgets

can help people organize their bills and expenses, keep track of spending, and manage their assets to ensure

that there is enough money left at the end of the month. The purpose of this project is to help students learn

about how a budget works and to conduct a real-life simulation to help students understand what paying bills

in the real world might be like. Over the course of the project, the student will use a variety of different

technology applications to research careers and salaries, budget items, and the typical costs for housing,

utilities, vehicles, and insurance. In addition, the students will explore the pros and cons of having and using

credit cards. Finally, the students will conduct a budget simulation that emulates monthly spending for one

year. All of the topics that are considered in this project are issues that students will have to face in some

way, shape, or form in the real world. The goal of this project is to provide students with a budgeting

experience, take an active role in creating and managing a budget, and connecting mathematics in the

classroom to mathematics in the real world.

Creating a Monthly Budget – Lesson Plan #1 – Career Search

Lesson Title: Creating a Monthly Budget – Choosing Your Career

Subject Area(s): Mathematics

Grade Level: High School (9-12)

Author: Mike Dillon

Lesson Summary: In this lesson, the students will conduct Internet research on a career that they are interested in. The goal of the research is to gather and record basic information their career. The students will develop a brief job description, determine the necessary amount of education, determine the typical location (i.e. urban versus rural, at a university, etc.) where that job is found, and examine the outlook for individuals entering that field. In addition, the students will locate information about salary and/or hourly wage, benefits, additional expenses, etc. For the students, this lesson is a precursor to developing their monthly budgets.

Instructional Objectives:

Conditions1) The students will search the Internet to locate the required information about the career of their

choice.2) The students will use the recommended websites and find additional websites as sources of their

information.3) The students will assess their career choice and decide if it is still of interest to them, within the

parameters of the project, etc. If necessary, a student may have to choose another career.4) The students will summarize the required information in their own words on the appropriate

worksheet.5) The students use a word processing program to type up the results of their research.

Criteria for Measurement1) Students will successfully locate the appropriate websites, locate the required information, and

completely their research in a timely fashion (i.e. in the allotted class period).2) Students will complete the worksheet and fill in all of the required information.

Content1) The content includes information about the students’ career choices. The students will locate

information about: job description, required education, job location, salary, benefits, expenses, etc.2) The will use the Internet and a word processing program to complete the activity. They need to have

a basic knowledge of searching the Internet and using a word processor.

Lesson Plan Standards:

Local Standards (Postville Community Schools)1) Standard 1 – “Student can understand and apply number properties and operations.” 2) Standard 2 – “Students can understand and apply methods of estimation.”3) Standard 4 – “Students can interpret data presented in a variety of ways.”

National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards

3) Instructional programs from pre-K through grade 12 should enable all students to— build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving; solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts; apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems; monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.

4) Instructional programs from pre-K through grade 12 should enable all students to— organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication; communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others; analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others; use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.

5) Instructional programs from pre-K through grade 12 should enable all students to— recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas; understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent

whole; recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.

Instructional Materials:

1) Computera. The first function of the computer will be to locate information. The students use the Internet

to locate information about the career choice.b. The second function of the computer will be to record and summarize information. The

students will use a word processing program to complete the necessary worksheet.2) Think Sheet Worksheet (see the attached worksheet)3) Information Worksheet (see the attached worksheet)

Problem Statement: The overall goal of the project is to develop a monthly budget and simulate the budgeting process over the course of a given year. In today’s activity, you are going to use the Internet to investigate the career of your choice and locate basic information about that career.

Lesson Introduction: This activity serves as the introduction to the entire project. To introduce the lesson, discuss with the students the concept of a monthly budget. Some discussion questions might include:

What is a budget? What is a budget used for? What types of things might be included on a budget? What bills and expenses might you include in your budget? How does you job or career affect your budget? Etc.

These questions can be addressed in the NTeQ Think Sheet. In order to give the students a framework for the project, tell them that they are going to research a career of their choice. They need to find information about their job including the salary, benefits and expenses, education, etc. Once the introduction is complete, inform the students about what they need to complete, any parameters or restrictions on the types of careers, what role the computers will play in the project, and what the expectations are for the day.

Results Presentation: At the completion of the activity, the students will print off a copy of the “Think Sheet” and information worksheet with the questions about their career answered.

Computer Integration: The students need to locate and summarize information about the career of their choice. The students need to use the Internet to located data about their career, and they need to use a word processing program to record and summarize their research.

Computer Activities:

Activities Prior to Computer Use1) Students will brainstorm ideas about what a budget is.2) Students will brainstorm and choose a career to research.3) Students will answer the “Think Sheet” questions.

Activities During Computer Use1) Students will conduct an Internet search to locate information about their careers. They will use the

given websites and will search for additional websites to supplement their information.2) Students will use a word processing program to record and summarize their information.3) Students will print off a copy of their information worksheet.

Activities After Computer Use1) Students will review their information and check for accuracy.2) Based on the salary or hourly wage, students will calculate/estimate their monthly earnings.

Supporting Activities (optional):

1) Students will interview a local person in the career field that they chose to gather additional information not found on the Internet. Prior to conducting the interviews, the students will work in groups to develop a script of interview questions.

2) Students will interview parents, guardians, teachers, or other adults about how they budget, the types of bills they have to pay, expenses that come up, etc. Prior to conducting the interviews, the students will work in groups to develop a script of interview questions.

Culminating Activity: The culminating activity of the entire project is a budget simulation where the students use the data about their careers, data and brainstorming ideas about the structure of a budget, additional variables determined by the teacher, etc. to simulate the budget process for one year.

Implementation Plan:

1) Students will use the computer for the bulk of this activity. The students will be expected to only access the Internet and the word processing program. The students should only be on appropriate websites. While using the computer, the students should have both the Internet and the word processing program running at the same time so that they can alternate back and forth as they find information. Students should save their documents to a disk or to the identified network folder.

2) Each student will have access to their own computer.3) For this portion of the activity, students will work individually as they conduct research on their

careers.4) While on the Internet, the students should only access the designated websites. In addition, the

students will have the opportunity to search for additional websites. They should only be on websites applicable to their research. Advertisements and other pop-ups should be closed immediately. Music websites, other searches, etc. are not necessary.

5) Downloads are not necessary for this activity. No information should be downloaded. In a special case, the student should get permission from the teacher.

6) The students should talk to the teacher first for assistance. If students are completing the necessary tasks in a timely fashion, then they can help each other with questions.

7) Students should contact the teacher immediately if there are any problems. The students should not attempt to troubleshoot without the assistance of the teacher.

8) At the conclusion of the class, the students should save and print the information worksheets. They should close all programs and properly shut down the computer. They should remain in the classroom until directed by the teacher.

Assessment:

The following rubric can be used to assess the students for this activity:

Career Information Worksheet SCORE0 5 10 15 20 25 30Did not complete the necessary information. Left out significant amounts of information. Did not follow directions. Wasted class time. Was on inappropriate websites for this task.

Filled in most of the information, but did not provide many extra details. Did minimum work to complete the assignment. Did an average job of using class time effectively, searching the Internet for information, etc.

Completed the questions accurately and with sufficient details. Found additional websites with career information. Use class time effectively and efficiently searched the Internet for information.

Budgeting and Career Think Sheet0 2 4 6 8 10

Did not complete the necessary information. Left out significant amounts of information. Did not follow directions. Wasted class time. Did not work well with small groups.

Filled in most of the information. Did not provide many extra details. Did minimum work to complete the assignment. Did an average job of using class time effectively, contributing original ideas, etc.

Completed the questions accurately and with sufficient details. Used class time effectively and contributed to the group discussion. Add many original ideas to the group and displayed critical thinking skills..

Group Discussion/Participation0 1 2 3 4 5

Did not participate in the group discussion.

Participated only when called on. Participated consistently in group discussion. Contributed voluntarily.

Computer Behavior0 1 2 3 4 5

Did not use class time effectively. Was on inappropriate websites for this task. Did not use hardware or software correctly. Did not observe the computer lab rules.

Generally followed computer lab rules. Completed assignment but was occasionally off task. Use the hardware and software correctly most of the time.

Use class time effectively. Was on appropriate websites for this task. Searched additional websites for more information. Used the hardware and software appropriately. Observed computer lab rules.

TOTAL POINTS

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET – Budgeting and Career “Think Sheet”

This is an interactive worksheet. Click in the boxes for your name and the questions below to fill in your answers. Be sure the periodically save your work and print a copy of the complete worksheet to turn in to be graded.

NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This “Think Sheet” is designed to get you thinking about what a budget is.

Working in small groups, answer the following questions:

1) What is a budget?

2) What is a budget used for?

3) What types of things might be included on a budget?

4) How does you job or career affect your budget?

5) What type of career are you interested in?

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET – Career Information Worksheet


NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things: where you live, material goods that you purchase, utilities bills, etc. Most importantly, a budget depends on you income.

In today’s activity, you will conduct research about a career of your choice. The information that you collect will be used in future activities as we develop a budget and simulate monthly spending.Follow the instructions below to complete this activity:

a) To begin your research, go to the U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Click on the following link.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htmb) Search for your career. Complete the questionnaire below that asks for specific information

about that job. Be sure to complete all of the questions. You may visit other websites to find additional information.

c) Once the questionnaire is complete, print out a copy of the worksheet.

1) What is the career that you are researching?

2) Write a brief description of your career. In other words, what are the main characteristics of this career? Do not copy the text from the website. Write your description in your own words!

3) What types of education, training, and/or experience are required for this career?

http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm

4) In what location is the job typically located? For example, is it primarily found in urban areas, rural areas, or both? Is the job only offered in certain places? Etc. Could you work in this career near this area?

5) Are people paid in this field on a salary basis or on an hourly basis?

6) What is the typical annual income for this career? Assume that you just beginning this career. If an annual salary is not listed, calculate what your annual income would be. If the job is paid hourly, assume that you work 40 hours per week. Show your work on any calculations.

7) Are there any additional expenses or requirements that are related to this job? For example, a job may require you to provide your own vehicle. Another example may include the need to get further training.

8) Are there any specific benefits offered with this career?

9) List any additional interesting facts, characteristics, or information relating to this career.

10) List the URL’s for any additional websites that you used to gather your information.

Creating a Monthly Budget – Lesson Plan #2 – Budget BrainstormLesson Title: Creating a Monthly Budget – Budget Brainstorm



Author: Mike Dillon

Lesson Summary: In this lesson, the students will work in groups to brainstorm about what types of items should be included in a monthly budget. They will use a graphic organizer to develop their ideas. Then they will organize the items into general categories: Housing and Utilities, Cars and Secured Items Purchased on Credit, Loans, Credit Cards, Necessities, Additional Expenses, etc. The information will later be integrated into a spreadsheet that the student will use to conduct a budget simulation.


Conditions1) In small groups, the students will brainstorm and generate a list of items to be included on the

monthly budget.2) The students will conduct an Internet search to locate examples of budgets.3) The students will categorize each of their items into several general categories.4) In the large group, the students will assess the small group lists and compile a list final list of budget

items that the class will use for the remainder of the project.

Criteria for Measurement1) Each small group will present a completed graphic organizer and a categorized list of their budget

items to the larger group. 2) Students will participate in the discussion and assessment of final budget item list.

Content1) The content includes information about what types of items need to be considered when compiling a

monthly budget for paying bills and other living expenses.2) The students will use the Internet to located additional information about items on a budget.


Local Standards (Postville Community Schools)1) Standard 1 – “Student can understand and apply number properties and operations.” 2) Standard 3 – “Students can solve a variety of math problems.”3) Standard 4 – “Students can interpret data presented in a variety of ways.”

National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards1) Instructional programs from pre-K through grade 12 should enable all students to—

build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving; solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts; apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems; monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.





1) Computer a. The main function of the computer will be to located information on the Internet about

potential items that should be included on the budget.2) Think Sheet Graphic Organizer (see the attached worksheet)3) Budget Categories Worksheet (see the attached worksheet)4) Overhead projector, Transparencies of the Worksheets, Overhead or Whiteboard Markers

Problem Statement: The overall goal of the project is to develop a monthly budget and simulate the budgeting process over the course of a given year. In today’s activity, you are going to brainstorm ideas about what types of items should be included in monthly budget. You will use a graphic organizer to help you in the brainstorming process.

Lesson Introduction: This activity is the second phase in the project. To introduce the lesson, ask the students to think about what types of items should be included in a monthly budget of bills and other living expenses. Give the students the NTeQ Think Sheet Graphic Organizer, split them into small groups, and have them brainstorm as many different ideas as possible. The students may go to the computer lab to access the Internet to find examples of budget or to develop ideas of what they should include on their budget. After the students have completed the brainstorming sessions, have them categorize their items into the following general groups: Housing and Utilities, Cars and Other Secured Items Purchased on Credit, Loans, Credit Cards, Necessities, Additional Expenses, and Other. Let the students know that they will need to report to the larger group in order to compile a master list of the items.

Results Presentation: At the completion of the activity, the students will turn in a copy of the “Think Sheet” Graphic Organizer and printed copy of their spreadsheet.

Computer Integration: The computer will be needed to conduct Internet research. In a future lesson, they will later use a spreadsheet application with the information they gather in this lesson to conduct a budget simulation.


Activities Prior to Computer Use1) In small groups, students will brainstorm ideas about the items that should be included on the budget.

They will use the “Think Sheet” Graphic Organizer in the brainstorming process.

Activities During Computer Use1) The students will used the Internet to aide in the brainstorming process. Students will work in small

groups to conduct the search.

Activities After Computer Use1) Students will wrap up the brainstorming session. 2) Students will categorize their items into general groups.3) The small groups will report their ideas to the larger group.4) The class will discuss and assess the items and decide if things need to be taken off the list or added

to it. The class will agree on a final master list that everyone will use in later portions of the project.


1) None at this time.



1) Students will use the computer as part of the brainstorming process. The students will be expected to only access the Internet. The students should only be on appropriate websites.

2) Students will work in small groups. Each group will have access to one computer.3) For this portion of the activity, students will work in small groups individually as they conduct their

research. Students will only have a limited amount of time to conduct research. The students will be responsible for splitting up the work and tasks among themselves.

4) While on the Internet, the students should only access the designated websites. In addition, the students will have the opportunity to search for additional websites. They should only be on websites applicable to their research. Advertisements and other pop-ups should be closed immediately. Music websites, other searches, etc. are not necessary.


6) The students should talk to the teacher first for assistance. If students are completing the necessary tasks in a timely fashion, then they can help each other with questions.



Assessment:


Think Sheet Graphic Organizer/Categorized Budget Items SCORE0 8 16 24 32 40Did not complete the necessary information. Left out significant amounts of information. Did not follow directions. Wasted class time. Did not work well with small groups.










TOTAL POINTS

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET – “Think Sheet” Graphic Organizer for Budget Items

NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This “Think Sheet” is designed to get you thinking about what types of items should be included on a budget.

Working in small groups, use the following graphic organizer to brainstorm ideas about the items on a personal budget for living expenses and paying bills.

BUDGET ITEMSBUDGET ITEMS

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET – Categorizing Budget Items Worksheet

NAME:


Working in small groups, use the following chart to organize the budget items into the designated categories.

Housing and Utilities Car Loans and Other Items Purchased on Credit Loans

Necessities Credit Cards Additional Expenses

Creating a Monthly Budget – Lesson Plan #3 – Monthly ExpensesLesson Title: Creating a Monthly Budget – Determining Monthly Expenses



Author: Mike Dillon

Lesson Summary: In the first portion of the lesson, the students will work in small groups to conduct a WebQuest to research what the typical costs are for some of the items in their budget. The WebQuest will be in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. They will use the use the links found in the presentation to gather the necessary data. The data will then be compiled for the class to determine a general range for the costs of each item. In the second portion of the lesson, the students will work on activity to investigate how credit cards work and the pros and cons of having a credit card. In the final portion of the lesson, the students will approximate the monthly cost for the items in their budget. This will lead to the final budget simulation.


Conditions1) In small groups, the students will research (using a WebQuest) information about the monthly

expenses for housing, utilities, car loans, and insurance.2) The students will complete the WebQuest worksheet based on their Internet research.3) The students will investigate how credit cards work and how interest affects payments and paying off

balances.4) The students will complete the Credit Card worksheets based on the information from the Credit Card

calculator.5) In the large group, the students will summarize the typical monthly expenses for each of the items on

their budget. They will determine the final range of values for the budge simulation.

Criteria for Measurement1) Each small group will present a completed WebQuest worksheet, Credit Card “Think Sheet”, and

Credit Card Worksheet. 2) Students will participate in the discussion and assessment of the monthly expenses for each budget

item. They will fill out the monthly expenses worksheet.

Content1) The content includes information about the monthly costs for various items on the budget.2) The students will investigate financial ideas related to housing, car loans, credit cards, utilities, etc.3) The students will use basic math skills to calculate monthly costs and other items.4) Students will use calculators and other Internet tools to perform more complicated calculations for

housing costs, car loans, credit card payments, etc.


Local Standards (Postville Community Schools)1) Standard 1 – “Students can understand and apply number properties and operations.” 2) Standard 2 – “Students can understand and apply methods of estimation.”3) Standard 3 – “Students can solve a variety of math problems.”4) Standard 4 – “Students can interpret data presented in a variety of ways.”


compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.

2) Instructional programs from pre-K through grade 12 should enable all students to—

develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data.


4) Instructional programs from pre-K through grade 12 should enable all students to— recognize reasoning and proof as fundamental aspects of mathematics; make and investigate mathematical conjectures; develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and proofs; select and use various types of reasoning and methods of proof.





1) Computerb. The first function of the computer will be to guide the students in their research. The

WebQuest will help the students located Websites and the necessary information.c. The second function of the computer will be to record information. The students will use a

word processing program and worksheet templates to answer questions.d. The third function of the computer will be to simulate various situations. Calculators and

other tools on the Internet will allow the students to easily manipulate data.2) WebQuest PowerPoint presentation (see attached PPT)3) WebQuest Worksheet (see the attached worksheet)4) Credit Card “Think Sheet” (see the attached worksheet)5) Credit Card Worksheet (see the attached worksheet)6) Monthly Expenses Worksheet (see attached worksheet)7) Overhead projector, Transparencies of the Worksheets, Overhead or Whiteboard Markers

Problem Statement: The overall goal of the project is to develop a monthly budget and simulate the budgeting process over the course of a given year. In these activities, you are going to use a WebQuest and various other Internet websites to gather information about the monthly cost of items on your budget. Specifically, you are going to investing housing costs, utility costs, car loans, insurance, and credit card expenses.

Lesson Introduction: These activities comprise the third phase in the project. To introduce the lesson, review the previous tasks that the students have completed—career investigation and the budget brainstorming activity. Tell the students that today’s tasks are to conduct Internet research to get an idea of the monthly costs associated with various items on their budget. The activities are in three parts. The first part is a WebQuest using a PowerPoint presentation, the Internet, and word processing to investigate housing costs, utility costs, car loans, and insurance. The second part of involves investigating the pros and cons of credit cards. In the first two parts, the students will work in small groups to complete the tasks. The final part will involve using the information that the students gathered to final the budget items and expenses for each of the items. The students will come together in a large group to summarize their findings and prepare for the last part of the project.

Results Presentation: At the completion of this lesson’s activities, the students will turn in copies of the WebQuest Worksheet, the Credit Card “Think Sheet”, the Credit Card Worksheet, and the Monthly Expense Worksheet.

Computer Integration: The students will use the computer in a variety of ways for these activities. The WebQuest/PowerPoint presentation will guide the students through part of their research process. The Internet will be used to gather information, perform several calculations and mini-simulations, etc. The word processing program will be used to record the students’ research.


Activities Prior to Computer Use1) The student will review the previous tasks and activities in the unit.2) The students will gather all of the necessary worksheets or download all of the necessary files from

the network folder.

Activities During Computer Use1) Students will work in small groups to conduct the WebQuest. The students should open the word

processing programs and pull up the worksheet. They should open PowerPoint and view the WebQuest slideshow. The Internet will open when they click on the first link in the PowerPoint. The students will need to alternate between the three programs as they gather and record information.

2) The students will print off a copy of their completed WebQuest Worksheet.3) The students will complete the Credit Card “Think Sheet” on the word processing program and print

off a completed copy when they are done.4) The students will open up the Credit Card Worksheet. When they click on the link, the Internet will

open and they can use the credit card calculators to answer the questions. 5) The students should print off a copy of the completed Credit Card worksheet when they are finished.

Activities After Computer Use1) Students will work in a large group to summarize their findings and complete Monthly Expenses

Worksheet. This will be the final step before the budget simulation.Supporting Activities (optional):

1) Students can explore additional areas on the websites and/experiment with different values in the various calculators. The students can develop a simple research questions related to the overall project and use the Internet resources to answer and report on their findings.

2) Students can interview local community members to further investigate the expenses associated with items on the budget. The student can develop interview questions prior to go out into the community.

They may interview employees at the local public works/government office or utility offices, car dealers, insurance agents, bankers, etc.

Culminating Activity: The culminating activity of the entire project is a budget simulation where the students use the data about their careers, data and brainstorming ideas about the structure of a budget, additional variables determined by the teacher, monthly expenses, etc. to simulate the budget process for one year.


1) Students will use the computer while conducting their research. The students will be expected to only access: the word processing program to record their information and answer the questions; PowerPoint to download the WebQuest; and the Internet to gather their information. In order to make the transition between the applications easier, the students need to click on the links in the presentation in order to get back to an area where they can access both the Internet and word document. The students should not stop the slide show in order to access the word document. The students should only be on the designated websites. Students should save their documents to a disk or to the identified network folder. The students should save information on a regular basis and print out final copies of their worksheets.

2) Student will work in pairs while conducting the WebQuest and completing the Credit Card activity. The students will come together in a large group for the final part of the activity.

3) While working in pairs, the students need to determine which person is doing what. One team member should be responsible for navigating the applications. The other person should be responsible for monitoring the group’s process, keeping the group on task, relaying information to other team member, etc.

4) While on the Internet, the students should only access the designated or content-related websites. They should only be on websites applicable to their research. Advertisements and other pop-ups should be closed immediately. Music websites, other searches, etc. are not necessary.

5) Downloads from the Internet are not necessary for this activity. No information should be downloaded except for the initial documents from the shared network folder. In any special cases, the student should get permission from the teacher.

6) Each pair of students should work together to complete the activity. In the event of a problem, the students should talk to the teacher first for assistance. If students are completing the necessary tasks in a timely fashion, then they can help each other with questions.



Assessment:


WebQuest Worksheet SCORE0 10 20 30 40 50Did not complete the necessary information. Left out significant amounts of information. Did not follow directions. Wasted class time. Did not go to the appropriate websites or locate the required areas of the web pages.

Completed the worksheet, but had several mistakes, etc. Did minimum work to complete the assignment. Did an average job of using class time effectively, navigating the WebQuest, word document, Internet, etc. Worksheet was acceptable.

Completed the WebQuest activity with quality answers. Used class time effectively and carefully followed the directions of the teacher. Had excellent answers with minimal flaws. Went beyond the minimum expectations of the project.

Credit Card “Think Sheet” 0 2 4 6 8 10




Credit Card Worksheet0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Did not complete the necessary information. Left out significant amounts of information. Did not follow directions. Wasted class time. Did not go to the appropriate websites or locate the required areas of the web pages.

Completed the worksheet, but had several mistakes, etc. Did minimum work to complete the assignment. Did an average job of using class time effectively, navigating the word document, Internet, etc. Worksheet was acceptable.

Completed the activity with quality answers. Used class time effectively and carefully followed the directions of the teacher. Had excellent answers with minimal flaws. Went beyond the minimum expectations of the project.








TOTAL POINTS

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET –WebQuest Worksheet


NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This worksheet accompanies the WebQuest regarding monthly payments.

As you conduct the WebQuest, be sure to answer the questions on the worksheet. Print out a copy of this worksheet when you are finished with the WebQuest.

HOUSING – RENT 1) What is the typical rent for the following forms of housing:

1 Bedroom Apartment

2 Bedroom Apartment

3 Bedroom Apartment

Small House

Large House

HOUSING – BUYING A HOUSE2) Suppose you want to buy a house. You have a down payment of $1000 and hope to pay no more than $500 per month. If your interest rate is 6.5%, your tax rate is 1.3%, and you insurance is $400 per year, what amount for a house could you afford?

3) If you have the same conditions as the previous questions but are willing to pay up to $800 per month, what amount for a house could you afford?

4) For the average person living in this area, what do you think is a good range for the cost of a house that most people could afford?

UTILITIES5) What are typical rates for each of the following basic utilities? What do you think that would work out to be monthly?

UTILITY RATE MONTHLY?Electricity

Natural Gas

Telephone

Long Distance

Cell Phone

Cable or Satellite Dish

Internet

Water/Sewer/Garbage

CAR LOAN6) The three companies listed on the WebQuest are the three major car companies in America. Choose a company and the type of car you are interested in purchasing. Located the payment calculators and calculate what the monthly payments would be for the vehicle. Complete the chart below with the necessary information:

Car Company

Make of Car

Model of Car

Year of Car

Price of Car

Interest Rate on Loan

Years for Loan

Monthly Payment

INSURANCE7) Choose an insurance company. Go to the website and get a quote for the following types of insurance. What will be the annual premium and what will monthly payment will that result in?

Insurance Company

Car Insurance Per year Per monthHouse Insurance Per year Per month

Life Insurance Per year Per month

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET –“Think Sheet” for Using Credit Cards


NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This “Think Sheet” is designed to get you thinking about how credit cards can affect your monthly budget.

Working in small groups, answer the following questions.

1) What are the advantages of having and/or using credit cards?

2) What are the disadvantages of having and/or using credit cards?

3) Why do you think that so many people get “in trouble” by using credit cards?

4) Suppose that you have a credit card and have charged $2000. If the interest rate on the card is 24%, how long do you think it would take you pay off the balance if you only paid the minimum amount due?

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET –Using Credit Cards Worksheet


NAME:


In this activity, you will conduct some research about paying off credit card debt. Hopefully, the information you gather will be enlightening. In addition, we will use the information that you collect will be used in future activities as we continue to develop our budget and simulate monthly spending.Follow the instructions below to complete this activity:

b) To begin your research, go to the following website to use a credit card calculator. Click on the following link.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/calc_home.asp d) Scroll down the page and find the credit card calculator section.e) Answer the questions below. Be sure to save your worksheet periodically and print out a copy of the

worksheet when you are done.

1) Click on the link that says: “What will it take to pay off my credit card?” Enter the following information into the designated boxes:

Credit Card Balance $1000 Interest Rate 24% Amount per Month $50 Desired Months… Leave Blank

Assuming that you do not make any additional purchases, how long will it take you to pay off this debt?

2) Click on the clear all button and enter the following information into the designated boxes: Credit Card Balance $5000 Interest Rate 24% Amount per Month $50 Desired Months… Leave Blank

Assuming that you do not make any additional purchases, how long will it take you to pay off this debt? What happened when you clicked the calculate button?

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/calc_home.asp

3) From the previous question, what monthly payment could you use to pay off the $5000 and how long would it take to do so?

4) Click on the clear all button and enter the following information into the designated boxes: Credit Card Balance $10000 Interest Rate 24% Amount per Month Leave Blank Desired Months… 60 months (a.k.a. five years)

Assuming that you do not make any additional purchases, how much could you have to pay each month in order to pay off the balance in 5 years?

5) Go back to original webpage, http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/calc_home.asp, and click on the link that says: “The true cost of paying the minimum.” Enter the following information into the designated boxes:

Credit Card Balance $1000 Interest Rate 24% How is minimum… 2.5% Minimum Payment This will automatically fill in. Fixed Payment This will automatically fill in.

Assuming that you do not make any additional purchases, a) How many months will it take you to pay off the balance?

b) Approximately how many years is that?

c) How much interest will you pay?

d) In which month will you have a balance of about $500?

e) If you click the back button, choose the fixed payment option, and pay $25.00 per month, what will be the new values for the number of months, number of years, and amount of interest that you pay?

Months

Years

Interest

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/calc_home.asp

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET –Monthly Expenses Worksheet

NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This worksheet is a summary of the information we have collected. This sheet will guide the final budget simulation.Fill in the worksheet as we complete it in class.

EXPENSES TYPICAL AMOUNT COMMENTSHousing and UtilitiesRent/MortgageElectricHeatWater/Sewer/GarbageCable/DishPhone (Home)Phone (Cell)InsuranceInternet

Car Loan and Other…Car Payment #1Car Payment #2

LoansStudent Loan

Credit CardsVisaMasterCardDiscoverNecessitiesFoodDoctor BillsGasoline

Additional ExpensesEntertainmentDaycareMagazine Subscription

Creating a Monthly Budget – Lesson Plan #4 – Budget SimulationLesson Title: Creating a Monthly Budget – Budget Simulation



Author: Mike Dillon

Lesson Summary: This the last lesson in the unit. In this lesson, the student will complete a budget simulation that models spending over the course of one year. The students will use a spreadsheet to enter values for different areas of the budget. In addition, the students will roll the dice to randomly select other spending issues that may arise during the month. The students will use the salaries from their career searches, the budget items from the budget brainstorm, and the monthly expenses from the third lesson. In order to keep the simulation somewhat uniform, the students will all have the same items in their budgets. However, there may be some differences in the amount of the expenses. To conclude the lesson, students will analyze each others results to look for trends, pitfalls, etc.


Conditions1) The students will input data into the spreadsheet for a twelve-month simulation.2) The students will analyze each months income and spending in addition to incorporating spending

variables into their monthly budget.3) The students will make decisions about what to do with extra money each month.4) The students will analyze the end results of their individual budgets and identify trends, pitfalls, etc.5) The students will analyze other students’ results in order to draw conclusions about the use of

monthly budgets, cost of living, spending in the real world, etc.

Criteria for Measurement1) Each student completes a preliminary and follow-up “Think Sheet” about their budget simulation.2) Each student will print and turn in a copy of their completed spreadsheet.

Content1) The content includes information about completing a monthly budget. 2) The students will use a spreadsheet application to perform the monthly calculations for a one-year

simulation.3) The students will use basic math skills as they calculate monthly income, costs, spending, etc.


Local Standards (Postville Community Schools)1) Standard 1 – “Students can understand and apply number properties and operations.” 2) Standard 2 – “Students can understand and apply methods of estimation.”3) Standard 3 – “Students can solve a variety of math problems.”4) Standard 4 – “Students can interpret data presented in a variety of ways.”


compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.

2) Instructional programs from pre-K through grade 12 should enable all students to—

develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data.






1) Computera. The first function of the computer will be to use a word processing program to record their

answer to pre-activity and post-activity questions.b. The second function of the computer will be to use a spreadsheet to calculate costs in a monthly

budget for a one-year simulation.2) Budget Simulation Pre-Activity “Think Sheet” (see attached worksheet)3) Budget Simulation Post-Activity “Think Sheet” (see attached worksheet)4) Budget Simulation Spreadsheet

Problem Statement: The overall goal of the project is to develop a monthly budget and simulate the budgeting process over the course of a given year. In this activity, you are going to conduct a budget simulation to examine income, spending, money management, etc. over the course of one-year. You will be using a spreadsheet to make the process faster. In the end, you will analyze your results and the results of others in the class to identify trends, locate spending pitfalls, etc.

Lesson Introduction: This activity is the final phase of the project. To introduce the lesson, review the previous tasks that the students have completed—career investigation, budget brainstorming activity, and the monthly expenses WebQuest. Tell the students that today’s task is to conduct the budget simulation and analyze the results of each student’s budget. In addition to inputting data into the spreadsheet, the students’ budgets will also be subjected to some random financial twists. For each month, the students will have to roll the dice and may either earn extra money, pay their normal bills, or have to pay an extra expense. Before beginning the spreadsheet, let them know how the spreadsheet works, where they can input values, and how the formulas in the spreadsheet work. At the conclusion of the simulation the students will come together in a large group to analyze the results of their simulations.

Results Presentation: At the completion of this lesson’s activities, the students will turn in copies of their completed spreadsheets and their “Think Sheet” worksheets.

Computer Integration: The students will use the computer in a variety of ways for these activities. The spreadsheet application will be used to conduct the budget simulation. The word processing application will be used to record their answers to the “Think Sheet” activities.


Activities Prior to Computer Use1) The student will complete the pre-activity “Think Sheet”.2) The teacher will give the students the ground rules for using the spreadsheet.

Activities During Computer Use1) Students will input data for the various budget expenses for each month. The teacher will guide the

students through the first couple of months in order to ensure that data is being input correctly. 2) For each month, the students will role the dice to see what types of extra expenses or extra money

they will have for the month.

Activities After Computer Use1) The students will complete the post-activity “Think Sheet”.2) The students will discuss and analyze the results of budget simulation. They will look for trends,

budget pitfalls and gains, monthly spending activities, etc.3) The overall lesson will be wrapped up.


1) Students can design and implement their own spreadsheets for managing a monthly budget and calculating income, expenses, etc.

Culminating Activity: This lesson is the culminating activity for the entire project. The budget simulation puts together all of the information gathered in the first three lessons of the project.


1) Students will use the computer to complete “Think Sheet” questions in a word document. The students will also use the spreadsheet application to conduct the budget simulation. The students will be expected to only access the word processing program to record their information and answer the questions and the spreadsheet application to conduct the budget simulation. Students should save their documents to a disk or to the identified network folder. The students should save information on a regular basis and print out final copies of their worksheets.

2) Student will work in small groups to answer the “Think Sheet” questions. They will work individually while conducting the budget simulation in the spreadsheet application.

3) While working in small groups, the students need to determine which person is doing what. One team member should be responsible for navigating the applications. The other person should be responsible for monitoring the group’s process, keeping the group on task, relaying information to other team member, etc.

4) The students will not need to access the Internet for this activity.5) The students will not need to access the Internet for this activity.

6) In the event of a problem, the students should talk to the teacher first for assistance. If students are completing the necessary tasks in a timely fashion, then they can help each other with questions.



Assessment:


Budget Simulation Spreadsheet SCORE0 5 10 15 20 25 30Did not complete the necessary information. Left out significant amounts of information. Did not follow directions. Wasted class time. Did not stay on task, listen to teacher instructions, or stay in the appropriate applications.

Completed the spreadsheet, but had several mistakes, etc. Did minimum work to complete the assignment. Did an average job of using class time effectively, navigating the spreadsheet, word document, etc. Spreadsheet was acceptable.

Did an excellent job of completing the spreadsheet activity. Used class time effectively and carefully followed the directions of the teacher. Had minimal flaws. Went beyond the minimum expectations of the project.

Pre- and Post-Activity “Think Sheets” 0 2 4 6 8 10











TOTAL POINTS

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET –Pre-Activity “Think Sheet” for Budget Simulation


NAME:



1) When looking at the template for the spreadsheet, how do think the values in the yellow areas are calculated?Balance Forward

Gross IncomeTaxes, FICA, etc.

Net IncomeSubtotal

Monthly Total

2) What are examples of some “unexpected” expenses that might arise in any given month?

3) What are some things that you could do with any extra money that you have at the end of the month?

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET –Post-Activity “Think Sheet” for Budget Simulation


NAME:



1) When looking at the template for the spreadsheet, how are the values in the yellow areas calculated?Balance Forward

Gross IncomeTaxes, FICA, etc.

Net IncomeSubtotal

Monthly Total

2) What are examples of some “unexpected” expenses that might arise in any given month?

3) How much extra money did you have at the end of each month? Was this more than, less than, or what you expected for a month? Explain.

4) Where there any areas of your simulation that surprised or were unique?

5) Did you notice any trends in your data? Explain.

6) Are there any pitfalls to avoid when managing your money? Explain.

7) What things have you learned over the course of this project?

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET –Monthly Variable Expenses Key

NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This sheet provides you with instructions for rolling the dice and filling in the variable expense portion of the spreadsheet.

Use the dice and instructions below to complete the variable expense portion of the spreadsheet. Each month has certain items that you MUST do. Then, roll the dice and follow the instructions for that particular roll. Complete your budget by paying the necessary bills and paying appropriate amounts for any other items that you have.

JANUARY MUST DO: January is a cold month. Add on $150 do your normal heat bill.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS

You car breaks down. Pay an extra

$200 for repairs.

Pay Normal Bills

Grandma gives you $500 as a

Christmas gift.

Pay Normal Bills

Spent all of your extra

money.

Pay Normal Bills

FEBRUARY MUST DO:You charged an extra $500 per credit card and the interest rate is 25%. Pay them off as soon as possible. The heat bill is still high. Add $50 to the normal bill.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS

The flu season is

really bad. You had to

go to the doctor and

get a prescription. The co-pay

was $79.

The heat bill goes up $120 in addition to the extra $50.

Add it to your heat

bill.

Pay Normal Bills

Pay Normal Bills

The heat bill goes up $120 in addition to the extra $50.

Add it to your heat

bill.

Your furnace goes out. Pay

$200 for repairs.

MARCH MUST DO: Your mom sends you a birthday gift of $100. Add it to your net income.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS

Happy Birthday!

Your uncle sends you

$50. Add it to your net

income.

Pay $50 for an oil change and tune up

for each vehicle.


money.

Pay Normal Bills


money.

Pay Normal Bills

APRIL MUST DO:

It’s income tax time. You need to pay an additional $250 to the federal government and $58 to the state government. In addition, you need to pay the account $75 for preparing your taxes.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS


money.


money.

Pay Normal Bills

Your basement

floods. You need to pay

$520 to replace the

carpet.

Pay Normal Bills

Your basement

floods. You need to pay

$520 to replace the

carpet.

MAY MUST DO:You broke your arm. You now have a $300 medical deductible to pay. If you cannot afford the $300, you can work out a deal to pay $50 per month for the next six months.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS

You get caught

speeding. Pay a $50 speeding

ticket.

Spent all of you extra money.

Pay Normal Bills

The heat bill is down.

Decrease you monthly

payment by $50 for May, June, July,

and August.

Pay Normal Bills

The heat bill is down.

Decrease you monthly

payment by $50 for May, June, July,

and August.

JUNE MUST DO: You charge an additional $250 to each of your credit cards. Pay them off as soon as possible.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6INSTRUCTIONS

Income tax refund of

$100

Pay Normal Bills


money.


money.

Income tax refund of

$100.

Pay Normal Bills

JULY MUST DO: The fees for your car’s license and registration are due. Pay $155 per vehicle that you own.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS


money.

Time to fill the

swimming pool. Your water bill goes up by

$136

Pay only $20 for low heat bill. But pay an additional $125 for the

electric bill to run the AC.

Insurance premium

goes up by $75 for the rest of the

year

Pay Normal Bills

Spent all of you extra money.

AUGUST MUST DO: Your employer offers you a raise. Your monthly income increases by $100 per month for the rest of the year.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS


money.

Your TV died. Pay

$100 for new TV.

Pay Normal Bills


money.

Time to buy new clothes. Spend $300 shopping.

Your TV died. Pay

$100 for new TV.

SEPTEMBER MUST DO: The brakes on your vehicle go out. You need to $275 to get them repaired.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS

It’s Mr. Dillon’s

Birthday. Buy him a

$50 present.


Birthday. Buy him a

$50 present.


Birthday. Buy him a

$50 present.


Birthday. Buy him a

$50 present.


Birthday. Buy him a

$50 present.


Birthday. Buy him a

$50 present.

OCTOBER MUST DO:You go to the dentist for your regular checkup. The dentist charges you $75. You go to the doctor for a physical. Pay and additional $75 for the doctor visit.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS

Happy Halloween!

Kids egg your house and

break a window. Pay $75 to get it

fixed.

Happy Halloween!

Kids egg your house and

break a window. Pay $75 to get it

fixed.


money.

Buy a winning

lottery ticket. You get $500.


money.

Pay Normal Bills

NOVEMBER MUST DO: Your pet needs its annual shots. Pay the veterinarian $120 for the checkup and shots.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS


money.

You are in charge of the holiday feast. The cost of the food is

$100.

Pay Normal Bills

Spent $100 on hotel room

for Thanksgiving

Break.

Spent $100 on hotel room

for Thanksgiving

Break.


money.

DECEMBER MUST DO: You purchase presents for your family. The cost is $450 dollars.

DICE ROLL 1 2 3 4 5 6

INSTRUCTIONS

Your employer

gives you a $550 bonus. Add it your net income.

Pay Normal Bills

Your employer


Your employer


Pay Normal Bills

Your employer


The details for the implementation plan for the computers can be found in each of the individual lesson

plans. Although each lesson has slightly different requirements for the use of computers, the same general

rules and expectations still apply. See each lesson plan for details.

The following modifications for Lesson Plan #1: Choosing Your Career could be made for ESL students. In

Postville, there is large number of immigrant students who enter the high school with limited English

abilities. In many situations, students are placed in the General Math or Intro to Algebra classes due to the

language barrier rather than because of their math skills. This project would easily fit into the General Math

curriculum. Thus, ESL modifications would be necessary. The staff does have a full time ESL tutor and

several student tutors who are available to assist in the classroom. In additional to utilizing the personnel,

worksheets and instructions could be translated into Spanish. Students could also be paired together.

Bilingual students who are not as affected by the language barrier could be paired with those students that

have a more difficult time with English. In addition, ESL students could be granted additional time to

complete the activities. The modifications are noted in red type in the lesson plan.

Creating a Monthly Budget – Lesson Plan #1 – Career Search

Lesson Title: Creating a Monthly Budget – Choosing Your Career



Author: Mike Dillon

Lesson Summary: In this lesson, the students will conduct Internet research on a career that they are interested in. The goal of the research is to gather and record basic information their career. The students will develop a brief job description, determine the necessary amount of education, determine the typical location (i.e. urban versus rural, at a university, etc.) where that job is found, and examine the outlook for individuals entering that field. In addition, the students will locate information about salary and/or hourly wage, benefits, additional expenses, etc. For the students, this lesson is a precursor to developing their monthly budgets.


Conditions1) The students will search the Internet to locate the required information about the career of their

choice.2) The students will use the recommended websites and find additional websites as sources of their

information. For ESL students, websites written in Spanish could be located to make the research process easier.

3) The students will assess their career choice and decide if it is still of interest to them, within the parameters of the project, etc. If necessary, a student may have to choose another career.

4) The students will summarize the required information in their own words on the appropriate worksheet. The ESL students could write their answers in Spanish. With the help of the ESL tutors, their answers could be translated and graded.

5) The students use a word processing program to type up the results of their research.

Criteria for Measurement1) Students will successfully locate the appropriate websites, locate the required information, and

completely their research in a timely fashion (i.e. in the allotted class period).2) Students will complete the worksheet and fill in all of the required information. The ESL students

could write their answers in Spanish.

Content1) The content includes information about the students’ career choices. The students will locate

information about: job description, required education, job location, salary, benefits, expenses, etc.2) The will use the Internet and a word processing program to complete the activity. They need to have

a basic knowledge of searching the Internet and using a word processor.


Local Standards (Postville Community Schools)1) Standard 1 – “Student can understand and apply number properties and operations.” 2) Standard 2 – “Students can understand and apply methods of estimation.”

3) Standard 4 – “Students can interpret data presented in a variety of ways.”


build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving; solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts; apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems; monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.





1) Computera. The first function of the computer will be to locate information. The students use the Internet

to locate information about the career choice.b. The second function of the computer will be to record and summarize information. The

students will use a word processing program to complete the necessary worksheet.2) Think Sheet Worksheet (see the attached worksheet). The worksheets should be translated into

Spanish for the ESL students.3) Information Worksheet (see the attached worksheet). The worksheets should be translated into

Spanish for the ESL students.

Problem Statement: The overall goal of the project is to develop a monthly budget and simulate the budgeting process over the course of a given year. In today’s activity, you are going to use the Internet to investigate the career of your choice and locate basic information about that career.

Lesson Introduction: This activity serves as the introduction to the entire project. To introduce the lesson, discuss with the students the concept of a monthly budget. The discussion could be set up into smaller groups so that each group has either an ESL tutor or a bilingual student that can facilitate the discussion and aide in reporting to the larger group. Some discussion questions might include:

What is a budget? What is a budget used for? What types of things might be included on a budget? What bills and expenses might you include in your budget? How does you job or career affect your budget? Etc.

These questions can be addressed in the NTeQ Think Sheet. In order to give the students a framework for the project, tell them that they are going to research a career of their choice. They need to find information about their job including the salary, benefits and expenses, education, etc. Once the introduction is complete, inform the students about what they need to complete, any parameters or restrictions on the types of careers, what role the computers will play in the project, and what the expectations are for the day.

Results Presentation: At the completion of the activity, the students will print off a copy of the “Think Sheet” and information worksheet with the questions about their career answered. The ESL students could complete the questions in Spanish.

Computer Integration: The students need to locate and summarize information about the career of their choice. The students need to use the Internet to located data about their career, and they need to use a word processing program to record and summarize their research.


Activities Prior to Computer Use1) Students will brainstorm ideas about what a budget is.2) Students will brainstorm and choose a career to research.3) Students will answer the “Think Sheet” questions.

Activities During Computer Use1) Students will conduct an Internet search to locate information about their careers. They will use the

given websites and will search for additional websites to supplement their information. Spanish websites could be used as alternatives for ESL students.

2) Students will use a word processing program to record and summarize their information.3) Students will print off a copy of their information worksheet.

Activities After Computer Use1) Students will review their information and check for accuracy.2) Based on the salary or hourly wage, students will calculate/estimate their monthly earnings.


1) Students will interview a local person in the career field that they chose to gather additional information not found on the Internet. Prior to conducting the interviews, the students will work in groups to develop a script of interview questions.

2) Students will interview parents, guardians, teachers, or other adults about how they budget, the types of bills they have to pay, expenses that come up, etc. Prior to conducting the interviews, the students will work in groups to develop a script of interview questions.



1) Students will use the computer for the bulk of this activity. The students will be expected to only access the Internet and the word processing program. The students should only be on appropriate websites. While using the computer, the students should have both the Internet and the word processing program running at the same time so that they can alternate back and forth as they find information. Students should save their documents to a disk or to the identified network folder.

2) Each student will have access to their own computer. ESL students could work in pairs in order to assist each other with any language issues. ESL tutors could be matched with groups that have greater difficulty with the language.

3) For this portion of the activity, students will work individually as they conduct research on their careers. ESL students may work in small groups or with a tutor to complete the activity.

4) While on the Internet, the students should only access the designated websites. In addition, the students will have the opportunity to search for additional websites. They should only be on websites applicable to their research. Advertisements and other pop-ups should be closed immediately. Music websites, other searches, etc. are not necessary.


6) The students should talk to the teacher (or tutor) first for assistance. If students are completing the necessary tasks in a timely fashion, then they can help each other with questions.

7) Students should contact the teacher (or tutor) immediately if there are any problems. The students should not attempt to troubleshoot without the assistance of the teacher.


Assessment:


Career Information Worksheet SCORE0 5 10 15 20 25 30Did not complete the necessary information. Left out significant amounts of information. Did not follow directions. Wasted class time. Was on inappropriate websites for this task.

Filled in most of the information, but did not provide many extra details. Did minimum work to complete the assignment. Did an average job of using class time effectively, searching the Internet for information, etc.

Completed the questions accurately and with sufficient details. Found additional websites with career information. Use class time effectively and efficiently searched the Internet for information.

Budgeting and Career Think Sheet0 2 4 6 8 10











TOTAL POINTS

ESL students may be granted additional time to complete the activities outside of class. Many of the students meet with the ESL tutor during their study halls. They could use their study hall time to finish any necessary portions of the lesson.

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET – Budgeting and Career “Think Sheet”

This is an interactive worksheet. Click in the boxes for your name and the questions below to fill in your answers. Be sure the periodically save your work and print a copy of the complete worksheet to turn in to be graded. This worksheet could be translated into Spanish. ESL students could complete their work in Spanish.

NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things. This “Think Sheet” is designed to get you thinking about what a budget is.Working in small groups, answer the following questions:

1) What is a budget?

2) What is a budget used for?

3) What types of things might be included on a budget?

4) How does you job or career affect your budget?

5) What type of career are you interested in?

– CREATING A MONTHLY BUDGET – Career Information Worksheet

This is an interactive worksheet. Click in the boxes for your name and the questions below to fill in your answers. Be sure the periodically save your work and print a copy of the complete worksheet to turn in to be graded. This worksheet could be translated into Spanish. ESL students could complete their work in Spanish.

NAME:

This project deals with creating and implementing a monthly budget. Budgeting your money depends on a variety of things: where you live, material goods that you purchase, utilities bills, etc. Most importantly, a budget depends on you income.

In today’s activity, you will conduct research about a career of your choice. The information that you collect will be used in future activities as we develop a budget and simulate monthly spending.Follow the instructions below to complete this activity:

c) To begin your research, go to the U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Click on the following link.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htmf) Search for your career. Complete the questionnaire below that asks for specific information

about that job. Be sure to complete all of the questions. You may visit other websites to find additional information.

g) Once the questionnaire is complete, print out a copy of the worksheet.

1) What is the career that you are researching?

2) Write a brief description of your career. In other words, what are the main characteristics of this career? Do not copy the text from the website. Write your description in your own words!

3) What types of education, training, and/or experience are required for this career?

http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm

4) In what location is the job typically located? For example, is it primarily found in urban areas, rural areas, or both? Is the job only offered in certain places? Etc. Could you work in this career near this area?

5) Are people paid in this field on a salary basis or on an hourly basis?

6) What is the typical annual income for this career? Assume that you just beginning this career. If an annual salary is not listed, calculate what your annual income would be. If the job is paid hourly, assume that you work 40 hours per week. Show your work on any calculations.

7) Are there any additional expenses or requirements that are related to this job? For example, a job may require you to provide your own vehicle. Another example may include the need to get further training.

8) Are there any specific benefits offered with this career?

9) List any additional interesting facts, characteristics, or information relating to this career.

10) List the URL’s for any additional websites that you used to gather your information.

creating a monthly budget – lesson plan – day...

Documents