Teacher's Page

$1000 Winner!

Submitted by Sue Guenrich, Broadmoor Junior High, Pekin, IL

Teacher's Page

Area of Study:

data collection, organization, percents, computation, and running costs

Concepts:

Students will:
1] collect data from gift catalogs
2] calculate 6% tax on each item
4] calculate 10% shipping charge for each item
5] calculate the total price for each item purchased
6] calculate the running total to determine the amount spent
create a spreadsheet program to calculate the tax, shipping, total cost, and the running total

Materials:

Calculators
Spreadsheet program on computer such as Excel
Large assortment of gift catalogs. I sent out pleas for catalogs in Octoeber and other teachers save them. BE sure to include sport, fishing, and computer catalogs.
Set of worksheets for each student.

Procedure:

In 1997, the average adult spends $897 on gifts for Christmas. In this project, the students have won $1000 to spend on Christmas gifts. he gifts must be purchased from the gift catalogs provided in class, and tax plus shipping must be added to each purchase. The student must calculate the tax, shipping, total cost, and running total for each purchase. The student must not spend more than $1000. The calculations must be to the penny, not estimates. The data is then entered into a spreadsheet program and calculations are compared.

Assessment:

1] Observation of student work
2] Completed data sheets and worksheets
Rubric evaluation of project
Journal questions

a] Were you surprised how difficult it was to spend $1000?
b] What percentage of the gifts were gifts to others, rather than yourself?
c] How did the running total help your gift election?

Extensions:

1] Investigate the economic impact Christmas has on the retail businesses
2] Investigate the catalog sales industry and the use of bulk mail in marketing.

Go to the CD-ROM Table of Contents

© 1998 Pekin School District 108

Area of Study:	data collection, organization, percents, computation, and running costs
Concepts:	Students will: 1] collect data from gift catalogs 2] calculate 6% tax on each item 4] calculate 10% shipping charge for each item 5] calculate the total price for each item purchased 6] calculate the running total to determine the amount spent create a spreadsheet program to calculate the tax, shipping, total cost, and the running total
Materials:	Calculators Spreadsheet program on computer such as Excel Large assortment of gift catalogs. I sent out pleas for catalogs in Octoeber and other teachers save them. BE sure to include sport, fishing, and computer catalogs. Set of worksheets for each student.
Procedure:	In 1997, the average adult spends $897 on gifts for Christmas. In this project, the students have won $1000 to spend on Christmas gifts. he gifts must be purchased from the gift catalogs provided in class, and tax plus shipping must be added to each purchase. The student must calculate the tax, shipping, total cost, and running total for each purchase. The student must not spend more than $1000. The calculations must be to the penny, not estimates. The data is then entered into a spreadsheet program and calculations are compared.
Assessment:	1] Observation of student work 2] Completed data sheets and worksheets Rubric evaluation of project Journal questions a] Were you surprised how difficult it was to spend $1000? b] What percentage of the gifts were gifts to others, rather than yourself? c] How did the running total help your gift election?
Extensions:	1] Investigate the economic impact Christmas has on the retail businesses 2] Investigate the catalog sales industry and the use of bulk mail in marketing.