Consumer Education Unit! Your'e the consumer, get educated!

Your job is to become an expert on one of the following topics and then teach the important ideas about it to the class. Your final grades in the class and your consumer education credit depend on your project, your presentation and the Consumer Ed Exam. 

Topics:

1. “But I thought buying this would make me happy” Needs, wants and satisfaction. (Needs)
2. “Why am I broke all the time?” How and why to do a personal budget. (Budget)
3. “What security deposit?” How to rent an apartment. (Rent)
4. “Pay myself first? What the…?” The how and why of savings. (Savings)
5. “As seen on TV.”  The power of advertising. (Ads)
6. “Buying Misery? How do my buying habits affect the workers of the world? (Workers)
7. “Scams, spam and getting slammed.” How to avoid getting ripped off online and in the real world. (Scams)
8. “I wish my parents were rich.” How to pay for college and not get buried in debt.” (College)
9. “But I thought I was making 10 bucks an hour!” What to expect from wages. Where does all the money go from your paycheck? (Paycheck)
10. “Pay the man.” How to do your taxes. (Taxes)
11. “Oh Lord, won’t ya buy me a Mercedes Benz.” How to (and if you should) buy cars and other expensive stuff. (or just take the train) (Transport)
12. “A cheeseburger costs $487.63?”  How to avoid credit card debt and have good credit. (Credit)
13.  “I always use protection!” How insurance can save your butt. (Insurance)
14.  “We can always get another planet.” How our purchases affect the Earth (Earth)

Products:
Each team must create:
* A one to two page handout with key ideas that will be printed and distributed. (10pts)

* A Google Slides presentation (10pts)

*  The presentation should be 7-10 min long plus 3-5 min for questions (10pts)

Remember, Youtube videos won't play at school. If you want to include a video in your presentation, I suggest you download it at home and e-mail the video file to me. 

Here are some links to resources for our Consumer Education unit. You may and should use other sources, but these should get you started.

1 - “But I thought buying this would make me happy” Needs, wants and satisfaction.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-to-be-happy/MY01357

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvFWBLOjisE

http://www.happyplanetindex.org/data/

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-01-07/business/35441224_1_day-to-day-happiness-angus-deaton-real-relationship

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/business/16leonhardt.html?_r=0

http://www.pnas.org/content/107/52/22463.full

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/money/values.cfm 

2 - Why am I broke all the time?

http://www.myliferoi.com/2009/10/budgeting-worksheet-for-teens/

http://www.themint.org/teens/tracking.html

http://www.themint.org/teens/determine-your-budget.html

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/moneymanagement/tp/Simple_Saving.htm 

http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/finances/budgets.htm 

http://www.dinkytown.net/java/HomeBudget.html

3 - What security deposit?

http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/on_your_own.htm

http://www.tenant.org/

http://www.mytwodollars.com/2008/01/16/a-few-tips-for-first-time-apartment-renters/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Leasing-Planning-for-First-time-Apartment-Rental-Expenses&id=625503

http://data.cmap.illinois.gov/chicagoareahousing.org//Allinfo.asp?audience=r

4 - Pay myself first?

http://www.fool.com/how-to-invest/thirteen-steps/step-1-change-your-life-with-one-calculation.aspx?source=ii1sitlnk0000001

http://www.themint.org/teens/saving.html

http://www.themint.org/teens/compounding-calculator.html

5 - As seen on TV:

http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/

http://greenwashingindex.com/about-greenwashing/

http://www.icbs.com/kb/marketing/kb_marketing-psychological-tricks-in-selling.htm

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~taflinge/words.html

http://www.factcheck.org/

http://www.cracked.com/article_15768_as-seen-on-tv-10-most-laughably-misleading-ads.html

https://www.adbusters.org/gallery/spoofads

6 - The story of stuff - how it affects the workers. 

http://storyofstuff.org/movies/ 

http://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2014/07/high-cost-bargains-hidden-government-subsidies-low-wage-employers/
https://sites.google.com/site/fairtradelabor/sweatshops-and-child-labor
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/asia/bangladesh-building-collapse.html 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/03/how_much_does_a_pair_of_jeans.html 

http://www.globalissues.org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerism

https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

http://www.verdant.net/

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-to-avoid-being-enslaved-by-consumerism.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/alex_steffen_sees_a_sustainable_future.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/determining-the-environmental-impact-of-a-product-is-a-complex-process/2012/02/07/gIQA0APSeR_story.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/business/energy-environment/the-economic-and-environmental-costs-of-wasted-food.html?_r=0
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/ 
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0111_040112_consumerism.html 
http://greenwashingindex.com/about-greenwashing/ 

7 - Scams, spam and getting slammed:

http://www.snopes.com/

http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/buying_goods_and_services.htm

http://chicago.bbb.org/consumers/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/technology/personaltech/20basics.html?src=me&ref=general

8 - I wish my parents were rich!

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/grants-and-scholarships/the-basics-on-grants-and-scholarships

https://chooseyourfuture.cps.edu/high-school-college-career/undocumented-students/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvQR93C6n2E

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/

http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/ep/wizard-home.jsp

http://ticas.org/fact-sheets-about-student-debt-and-financial-aid
http://ticas.org/posd/home
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/1037/a-chance-at-college-for-dreamers.html

9 - But I thought I was making 10 bucks an hour...

http://www.themint.org/teens/earning.html

http://www.wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/

http://www.dinkytown.net/java/HomeBudget.html

10 - Pay the man.

http://www.freefile.irs.gov/

http://www.helium.com/items/159765-income-tax-tips-for-first-time-filers-the-w-2-your-first-step

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/news/20040130a1.asp

http://www.irs.gov/

http://www.wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/

11 - Oh Lord, Won't ya buy me a Mercedes Benz..

http://www.themint.org/teens/spending.html

http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/buying_goods_and_services.htm

http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/transportation.htm

http://www.igocars.org/

http://www.activetrans.org/

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/janis+joplin/mercedes+benz_20069845.html

http://www.jango.com/music/Janis+Joplin?l=0

12 - A cheeseburger costs $487.63!

http://www.themint.org/teens/owing.html

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/moneymanagement/tp/Get_Out_of_Debt.htm

http://credit.about.com/od/avoidingdebt/tp/how-to-avoid-credit-card-debt.htm

http://www.themint.org/teens/i-paid-how-much.html
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-29911.html
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/finances/credit_cards.htm

13  - How Insurance can save your butt...

http://www.progressive.com/shop/teen-car-insurance-resources.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-58VD3z7ZiQ
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/obamacare-explained-idiot/story?id=21292932
http://insurance.mo.gov/consumer/teens/index.htmhttp://www.superpages.com/supertips/car-insurance-for-teenagers.html
http://www.allkidscovered.com/
http://www.geico.com/information/aboutinsurance/renters/
http://www.giis.org/rent/rent.shtml

Conga rats! You did it!!!

YOU DID IT!!! It was hard, but you made it through. Congrats.



Now, while the experience of the AP Exam is fresh in your mind, please click on the link below and fill out this anonymous survey to help me understand your experience and to learn ways I can improve our class and my own teaching.

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