“If I was a used car salesman…”

INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION A WebQuest for 9th Grade Mathematics Designed By: Angela L. Harvey AHarvey@northwood.k12.oh.us EDTL 680 – Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning – Summer 2005 “If I was a used car salesman…” TASK RESOURCES PROCESS EVALUATION CONCLUSION STANDARDS CITATIONS TEACHER’S NOTES EXIT SLIDE SHOW

INTRODUCTION • In this fast paced commercialized world, everyone is trying to get a great deal. Do you really know what happens at a car dealership when you by a car? How did the owners of the dealership arrive at the final cost for the vehicle? In this WebQuest, we will explore a well known car pricing web site, and we will discover the mark-up between the trade-in price and the suggested retail price. • Using the techniques from our ten minute percentages lesson, we will see the astronomical increase in car prices, and in seeing this information, we can discuss why dealerships feel they have the right to charge people such an increase. • After completing the activities and reading about this career, do you want to be a used car salesman?

TASK • You are a consumer approximately 35 years of age. You are married with three children and a home in the suburbs. • Based on the availability of computer, you may be paired with a partner for this project. • You will be given a list of ten vehicles and their features. • Using the Kelly Blue Book, you will need to find the vehicle’s Trade-In Value and Retail Value. • Before using this newly found information, please make sure that you have completed and understand fully the ten minute activity on percent increase. • On each of the vehicles, you will need to find the percent increase from the Trade-In Value to the Retail Value. • Study all ten percentages and think of five insights into the salesman’s world. These could be interesting or disturbing. Keep in mind your assumed lifestyle. 10-Minute Activity TASK, PAGE 2

TASK, PAGE 2 • You will need to complete the worksheet containing spaces for the Trade-In Value, the Retail Value, the percent increase, and the insights. This worksheet will need to be turned into the instructor following the completion of the WebQuest. • Read through the suggested articles about car salesman, and make your own opinion about the career of a car salesman based on all of your given and found information. Keep in mind your assumed lifestyle. • In a few sentences, explain why you could or could not be a car salesman. You will need to state your answer at the bottom of your worksheet. BACK TO TASK WORKSHEET

Ten Minute Activity • Search Steps: • Open your internet browser. • Type www.infohio.org into the address window. • Click on “Resources for Grades 9-12”. • Click on the “Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition” link. • Enter your school’s user name and password when prompted. Your school librarian should be able to give you this information. • Warning! Be careful to now click on Encyclopaedia Britannica not Encyclopedia Britannica. • Scroll to the bottom of the page and under “Learning Materials” click on Mathematics. • Underneath Pre-Algebra click on Study Guides. • Scroll down the page until you find Percents and click on the link. • A purple screen will appear containing many topics on percentages. Click on “Sales, discounts, and finding the original price”. • Read through the small article. When you are finished reading, click on “Contents List” located in the bottom left hand corner. • Click on “Percent of decrease”. • Read through the small article. When you are finished reading, click on “Contents List” located in the bottom left hand corner. • Click on “Percent of increase”. • Read through the small article. When you are finished reading, click on “Contents List” located in the bottom left hand corner. • Be sure that you get any of your questions answered about these topics because these skills will be used on our next WebQuest! RETURN TO TASK

WORKSHEET Your Opinion… • Five Remarks… • ) • ) • ) • ) • ) BACK TO TASK

RESOURCES • Kelly Blue Book www.kbb.com • Confessions of a Car Salesmen www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html • Career Profiles: Auto Salesperson www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/dayInLife.asp?careerID=28 • Job Description: Car Salesperson www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/jobfamily/retailsalesandcustomerservices/carsalesperson.cfm?id=1577&pagenumber=1&sr&keywords=sales&jobInvolves=&jobInterest=&jobQualifications=&WhenHours=&workplace=&reorder=titleasc&jobfam=20 • Handouts • Car Features List • Worksheet (This is due at the conclusion of the WebQuest.) • INFOhio www.infohio.org • Encyclopaedia Britannica

PROCESS • After obtaining your worksheet and your car features list, begin by logging onto Kelly Blue Book. www.kbb.com • Use the example and directions below to guide you to the necessary information needed for the worksheet. • After retrieving all of the necessary information to fill in your worksheet, calculate the percent increases for each vehicle. • Debate quietly by yourself or with your nearest neighbor (s) about what you notice with these percentages. Ask yourself what are any similarities by grouping or major discrepancies in logic. You should write down five remarks that you can make about these percentages on your worksheet. EXAMPLE FOR FINDING PERCENT INCREASE DIRECTIONS FOR USING KELLY BLUE BOOK CAR FEATURES LIST PROCESS, PAGE 2

PROCESS, PAGE 2 • Read the following articles… • Confessions of a Car Salesman • Career Profiles: Auto Salesperson • Job Description: Car Salesperson • Form your own opinion based on all of your findings about retail car salesmen. Keeping your assumed lifestyle in mind, could you or could you not change to a career in car sales? • Write your opinion on your worksheet. • Class discussion to follow. BACK TO PROCESS

EXAMPLE PAGE • 1985 Alfa Romeo Spider • Graduate Convertible 2D • 265,000 miles • Hard Top/Soft Top • AM/FM Stereo • Leather • Good Condition • By using Kelly Blue Book, you could find out that the Trade-In Value for this vehicle is $1,620. The Retail Value for this vehicle is $4,995. • First, find the difference in the prices. It is $3,375. • Secondly, answer the following question. What percent is 3,375 of 1,620? It is 208 1/3% • This tells us that a car salesman just made over a 200% profit from the sale of this vehicle. Wow! It could very well be more or less of a profit because $4,995 is simply a suggested retail price. RETURN TO PROCESS

USING KELLY BLUE BOOK • Go to Kelly Blue Book at www.kbb.com. • Click on Used Cars. • Enter the year, make, and model of the vehicle, then select GO. • Enter zip code 43443, if prompted. • Choose Trade-In Value. • Select appropriate Trim from your “Features List”. • Select all other features necessary as well as entering mileage and condition if prompted. • Click on Get Pricing Report. • Scroll down until you find the price and log it on your worksheet. • Repeat steps 2 through 10 for each vehicle. You will also go through steps 2 through 10 for all ten vehicles again only changing step 5 to Retail Value. BACK TO PROCESS CAR FEATURES LIST

CAR FEATURES LIST BACK TO PROCESS

EVALUATION

CONCLUSION • Thank you again for participating in this WebQuest. Please feel free to check your answers using the link at the bottom of this page. I hope that by completing this activity you will begin to compile other important questions such as what to choose for a career, what kind of home to live in, what lifestyle to lead, and other future aspects of your life. Good luck in your future endeavors! ANSWERS TO WORKSHEET

ANSWERS TO WORKSHEET BACK TO CONCLUSION

STANDARDS • Mathematics • Standard: Number, Number Sense and Operations Standard • Grade Nine • Benchmark: G. Estimate, compute, and solve problems involving real numbers, including ratio, proportion and percent, and explain solutions. • Grade Level Indicator: 4. Demonstrate fluency in computations using real numbers. • Library • Benchmark E: Maintain a library program that is accessible by ALL students and staff when needed, all day, every day. • 1. Establish library hours of operation that ensure that all students have access to the school library media center. • Technology • Benchmark A: Synthesize information, evaluate and make decisions about technologies. • Grade Nine • Commercialization of Technology 3. Make informed choices among technology systems, resources and services.

CITATIONS • Career Profiles: Auto Salesperson www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/dayInLife.asp?careerID=28. Retrieved July 2005. • Confessions of a Car Salesman. www.edmunds/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html. Retrieved July 2005. • Encyclopaedia Britannica. http://school.eb.com/eb. Retrieved July 2005 • INFOhio. www.infohio.org. Retrieved July 2005. • Job Description: Car Salesperson www.connexions.gov.uk/jobs4u/summary.cfm?id=577. Retrieved July 2005. • Kelly Blue Book. www.kbb.com. Retrieved July 2005. • Ohio Department of Education. www.ode.state.oh.us. Retrieved July 2005.

TEACHER’S NOTES • Hopefully this activity will prove to be a beneficial eye opening experience for the students. At the age when they will start to venture out into the consumer world, they need to have a grasp for what they are up against in a non candy-coated world. • Keep a watchful eye on the students to stop “surfers” from getting off task. • Be prepared to start answering many questions during the execution of the WebQuest. • This WebQuest could last between five to seven class periods.

“If I was a used car salesman…”