Food Costs HOW MUCH!

This week my students are working in groups to create a "Depression Budget."  Each group was given a profession and a weekly salary based on the average salary for 1932.

Factory worker made $16.89 per week
A cook made $15.05 per week
An accountant made $45.28 per week
A Doctor made $61.11 per week

The students then had to work together to plan a budget for a family of four for one month.  They had to account for rent/mortgage, food, clothing, misc., transportation, entertainment, and furniture.  They worked using a list of prices from 1932. 

It was interesting to hear their conversations while they worked.  More than once I heard someone exclaim, "Oh my gosh $30 for food!"  The doctors were thrilled to have money to spend while the cooks were not sure that they would have enough to survive the month.  Although this wasn't a real budget they really understood what it was like during the great depression and how difficult it can be to plan a budget. 

Today they will have a twist thrown into the mix.  Each group must choose two "life happens" papers and those papers will tell them about an unexpected event that could ruin their budget, such as a family member needing glasses or an appliance breaking.  Some of the kids were upset about this since they had their budgets worked out well but we discuss how this is the reality of life.  No matter how much you plan out a budget or save your money there will always be something that comes up that could change your budget plan. 

Although we're studying the Great Depression we are also reviewing important financial pieces that the students will use for the rest of their lives. I'm hoping that they will realize the importance of using a budget and I even encouraged them to think of a budget they might use for themselves once they have a part time job of their own. 

I'm interested to see how their budgets turn out!

Happy New Year

We're back after break and the kids seem to be in good moods and ready to get to work!  We are starting a unit on the Great Depression and relating that to our current economic recession.  We're starting with the "Ordeal by Cheque" assignment. 

It's actually really neat.  We read a story written in the form of checks.  Through these checks we're able to figure out what is going on in the life of the characters.  The story is set between the years of 1903 and 1931.  Now the students are working on writing their own stories in the form of checks - very interesting! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful break and I think 2010 will be a great year!