The Game of Life

1. The Game of Life Student Page Teacher Page

2. IntroductionTaskProcessEvaluationConclusionTeacher Page STUDENT PAGE Back to Main Page

3. Introduction Can you believe it! Almost half of your school life has passed. Ninth grade is coming to an end and soon you will be making some important decisions about the rest of your life. You will be looking at different colleges and career opportunities. The things that your parents provide for you now, you will provide for yourself. As you continue through this webquest you will be asked to make some very important decisions about life. On the next slide type a paragraph (3-5 sentences) completing this statement: When I grow up I want to be… and why.

4. When I Grow up, I want to be… Click the pencil to go to your task

5. Task • Thinking about your future may seem like it is so far away. In comparison you are much closer to your future than you think ! Is college and option for you? What career choices are you considering? Your job is to pretend that you are getting ready to graduate from high school. With each activity you complete you will advance one step further into adulthood. Have your journal pages ready to answer questions and take notes. Good Luck! Click the mouse to go back to the Student Page

6. Process Now that you have had an opportunity to think about your future, your next step is to complete these five activities in order. Click the college search link to begin. • College Search • Career Search • Bills, Bills, Bills • Can you afford it? • Saving for the future Click the mouse to go back to the Student Page

7. College Search • You have graduated from high school, and now it is time to start your journey as a college student. You want to begin your search for a college, so that you can be on your way to finding the career of your dreams! You will look at the following colleges and answer the following questions about these colleges. Good luck on your quest! • First visit: http://nces.ed.gov/NCESKids/tools/college/college1.asp to look at colleges in your state. Enter the type of college you think you may want to go to, and the academic major you may want to study. This will give you some idea about the college that you choose to explore. • For a sample tour, visit the University of Michigan’s website and Michigan State University’s website. To answer the following questions, you will want to look for a link titled Future Students or Prospective Students. • University of Michigan (U of M)- www.umich.edu • Michigan State University (MSU)- www.msu.edu

8. Tuition • Tuition is the amount of money it costs to attend a college. How much is tuition for freshmen (first-year students) that… Want to go to U of M and live in-state? _____________________________ Want to go to U of M and live out-of-state? __________________________ Want to go to MSU and live in-state? _______________________________ Want to go to MSU and live out-of-state? ____________________________ Which college out of these two will cost the least for you? _________________ • Make a list of 3 academic majors(fields of study) that you are interested in at U of M or MSU ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ • Some people decide that they want to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports, activities, or clubs. What are some extracurricular activities that you are interested in that the college offers? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

9. Career Search • After you graduate from college, it will be time to begin searching for a career. Your career will determine how well you are able to provide for you and your family. Typically, people study in college what they want to do as their career. • Visit http://www.kids.gov/6_8/6_8_careers.shtml to view possible careers of your choice. • Your top 3 careers ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________  • Based on the descriptions, what are the responsibilities of the jobs that you chose? • How much does each job pay?  • What degree is needed for your jobs? How do you prepare? • Choose 1 career and do additional research.

10. Bills, Bills, Bills • Knowing how much you earn each month is an essential part of creating a realistic budget. How much you earn depends on your occupation. Read 5 Steps to Teach Your Teen to Budget at • http://life.familyeducation.com/personal-finance/independence/37415.html • 1. Use the Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov/OCO; the College Board Browser at www.collegeboard.com/html/careerbrowser.html; or the Salary Wizard at www.collegegrad.com/salaries/salaries.shtml to find your intended occupation and the amount of income you can expect to earn in that occupation. (You will have three choices: 4-year college; 2-year associate degree; and entering into the workforce.)

11. Bills, Bills, Bills (cont.) • 2. Go to Money Instructor at www.moneyinstructor.com/ws/ws0070.asp to complete a budget worksheet. • 3. Highlight the salary range you will be using for your budget. If your career requires more than 4 years of education, adjust the amount of salary and write an explanation on the print out. • 4. Using the lowest amount in the salary range, enter the annual starting salary for your first job on the Calculating a Paycheck Worksheet from Turbo-Mom’s Guide Worksheets at www.turbo-mom.com. Please do not enter an amount greater than $50,000 annual salary.

12. Can You Afford it? • Part of creating a budget is knowing how much you spend on essentials on a weekly basis. Go to www.peapod.com and grocery shop for what you think you would eat for the week. DO NOT HIT CHECKOUT. Keep track of your total on the upper right hand side of the screen. Take into consideration if you are living alone, if you will eat at home or also eat out during the week. What is your total? • Can you improve your shopping cart to save money. Check out www.coupons.com for coupons to save you money. • Are you still saving so that you have money for emergencies and/or a night out with friends. Check out www.mysavingsquest.com for ideas on what kinds of emergencies can happen unexpectedly.

13. Saving for the Future! • You have saved $5,000 so far from birthdays and babysitting jobs. You want to invest this money in the most appropriate way for your future. For this task, you will research how to invest money wisely. Many forms of investments are possible, including savings accounts, CDs, money market accounts, mutual funds and stocks. Finding the best investment strategy depends on your personality. • First, visit www.bankrate.com/brm/calc/savecalc.asp to set up your savings goals based on the college information you gathered earlier. In order to complete this portion of the assignment, you must investigate each strategy below and determine the best way to invest your money over a five-year period. Then you will write an essay explaining your choice along with a rationale. Be sure to include your financial information in you explanation. • Next, use the links at www.smithbarney.com/yin/investors/ways_to_invest.html to help you get familiar with the terms and vocabulary associated with each type of investing. • Then, go to one of the sites below to learn about your options. • www.younginvestor.com/teens/investIt/ • www.themint.org/kids/ways-to-invest.html

14. Saving for the Future! • A conservative person will choose CD’s. Visit www.bankrate.com/brm/calc/cdc/CertDeposit.asp and use the calculator to determine your earnings. • A cautious, but mildly risky investor will invest in money market accounts. Visit www.bankrate.com/brm/green/investing/investing1-4a.asp?caret=4 to find the type you want to invest in. Then use http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/mmmf_highratehome.asp?params=US,416&product =33 to choose the best option. Calculate the annual interest minus fees determine your profit with this option. • A gambler will fearlessly opt for stocks. Visit http://library.thinkquest.org/3096/4learn.htm or http://investopedia.com/university/stocks/ to educate yourself on stock options. • Use this link to learn how to read a stock table: www.smithbarney.com/yin/investors/prework_stocktable.html After determining the type of stock you want to buy, visit http://finance.yahoo.com/ • Click on investing, then market stats. Use this chart to track your chosen stock’s performance for two weeks and create a line graph. With this information, predict what this stock option will net you in five years.

15. Click the mouse to go back to the Student Page

16. Conclusion You Did It! This certificate is awarded to __________________ For successful completion of “the game of life” webquest Sharon Hobdy Click the mouse to go back to the Student Page Signature

17. TEACHER PAGE Credits Standards Introduction Student Page Back to Main Page

18. Introduction • This Webquest lesson was designed for seventh graders, but can easily be adapted to any grade level. In middle grades, there is an emphasis in math to connect mathematical concepts with real world activities. This webquest incorporates mathematical concepts with real life situations that the students will one day have to experience. Students will need to have some familiarity of Microsoft Office programs and using the internet. Click the mouse to go back to the Teacher Page

19. Standards • Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems • 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. Click the mouse to go back to the Teacher Page

20. Credits • Standards Addressed from National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter6/numb.htm) Click the mouse to go back to the Teacher Page