The Activity

Participants start with the monthly salary they determined prior to the Reality Store® visit activity for their chosen occupation. They then visit each of the stations listed below and deduct expenses based on the choices they visit each of the stations listed below and deduct expenses based on the choices they make. Students carry checkbook registers as they progress through the store. Checkbooks are available at the banking station, and are used as students advance through the stations in a school setting.

The marital status and the number of children the students will have in their care are determined by rolling a die for each decision. To determine their marital status, students roll a die: rolling a “1 or 4” = married; “2 or 5” = single, “3 or 6” = divorced. Another roll of a die determines the number of children they will have. Based on the assumption that the students are actually 25 years old, rolling a “1”=1 child, “2”=2 children, “3”=3 children, “4”=4 children, “5 or 6” = no children.

After students determine their marital status and their number of children at the Bank of Reality, they visit each of the other stations. Only if they have money available at the end of the Reality Store® and after visiting each station are they permitted to attend the Vacation Station. Checkbooks can be found at the bank and used as students advance through the virtual or live stations.

Online Activity

Much of the activity can be done via the internet. Instead of using stations and volunteers, the students can be directed to certain web-pages for each card, the student is given at least one website to determine and select the amount to be spent on each item. The following cards could be used as an online version of the activity:

STATION 1: Bank of Reality My occupation is: _________________________. My marital status is (after I rolled a die): _________.   To roll a virtual die: http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/users/dildine/js/dice/default.html I have _____ number of children (after I rolled a die). My monthly salary is:______________. Please record this amount in your check register. To find the median salary of occupations: http://www.bls.gov/OCO/ Checks can be obtained at: http://www.moneyinstructor.com/wsp/printchecks.asp#WORKSHEET

 

STATION 2: Housing Stay with family members: $100 per month. OR To find an apartment or a home in the city where you are living, please go to : http://www.rent.com/ http://realestate.aol.com/ Monthly Rent: _______________ OR House Payment: ________________ Record your monthly purchase on your check register and find your new balance.

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Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal
a service of NC State University, Raleigh, NC
Volume 12, Issue 2, 2009
ISSN 1097-9778
URL: http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/summer2009/
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