Getting the Real Deal

Created By Kyle Admire

Subject Area: Mathematics

Grade Level: 9

Lesson Summary

Students will research information on products of interest on the computer and transfer it into a spreadsheet then create a chart showing the information. 

Learning Objective and Computer Functions

Objective (TEKA Chapter 111.22 #10,111.23 #12, 111.24 #12)

The Student will be able to determine, from several resources, which market will be beneficial to use according to used products they are selling and buying.

1. Compare different buy and sell prices from different resources.
   1. Research web sites for different prices and evaluations of values.
2. Evaluate the mean, medium, and mode of each one of the resource in relation to the product.
   1. Create a spreadsheet to manipulate the information.
3. Choose which resource will be best for each product and explain why.
   1. Create a chart in that spreadsheet to visually see what the best outcome is.

Problem

Problem Nature

Where are some good places for me to buy or sell things?

Problem Statement

You and your friends have heard about young entrepreneurs who have made lots of money from using the Internet.  So you have all come together with some things to sell and a list of things to buy.  With these things in mind you and your friends work together to determine what will be bought and sold and which resources will be more profitable for each other.  From the list below choose three things that will be bought and sold.

Problem Data

Students will be given a list of six to seven popular products that can be sold. (i.e. cars, electric products such as PDAs, and fun thing like games and stereos: they choose three.  Students will need a list of resources to look for their product such as local newspaper and store ads, web sites such as ebay.com and pricewatch.com, and reference sites like Kellys Blue Book.

Notes on using Data

This date research can be done on and off the computer.  The students will find ownership to the problem by their freedom to find the best bargain on thing they want.  The student will also be able to decide their role in which they find the data.  The date will be recorded on a spreadsheet format and it should be able to be kept on a 3.5 floppy.

Activities

Activities Before Using the Computer

·        Break into group and assign the jobs for each student.  No more than four to a group.

·        Two Market researchers- to finds out who buys what and were

·        Two Price evaluators- prices what the product is worth.

·        Determine the product to sell and buy.

·        Decide where to look to find vale and market areas.

Activities While Using the Computer

·        Use Search Engine to find the determining factors of products.

·        Use the Internet to find the actual prices of products at resource domains.

·        Use a spreadsheet to evaluate mean, medium, and mode

·        Use a spreadsheet to create a chart to choose the best resources

Activities After Using the Computer

Create a presentation using a poster board to show findings.

Lesson-Related Supporting Activities

Look through local newspapers and advertisements to find their products.

Assessing Students

What items will be included in the assessment?

• Poster board presentation of information
• Spreadsheet with data figures and charts
• Written explanation of findings.  ½ to 2 pages in length
• Peer Evaluation

 The Rubric

Getting the Real Deal.

You and your friends have heard about young entrepreneurs who have made lots of money from using the Internet.  So you have all come together with some thing to sell and a list of things to buy.  With these things in mind you and your friends work together to determine what will be bought and sold and what resources will be more profitable for each other.  From the list below choose three things that will be bought and sold.

• 1987 Buick Grand National
• 1999 Honda Civic with a V-Tech engine
• TI 86 Calculator
• Hewlett Packard Jornada 567
• The Office XP Professional Suit software
• Aiwa CD-z127 car stereo
• Game Boy Advance with 3 Games

Check with several different resources to determine the value of the products you want to sell or buy.  Find the mean, median, and mode of each product by using MS Excel®.  Once you have them, use the chart-making feature to visually see which resources will be the best to use for trading your goods.  You will conclude the best place to buy and sell your products. Transfer your chart to a poster board and prepare a presentation on your finding. You will be working in groups of four:

·        Two Market researchers- Finds out who buys what and where

·        Two Price evaluators- Prices what the product is worth.

This project requires that you provide as a group 1) A Spreadsheet that shows your means, medians, and modes that you found 2) A half to two page paper exploring the factors that affect the values of your products 3) A Group presentation of your findings.   You will be graded in four areas.(see chart on second page)

 The Resource Guid

Here are some important things to check out.

 The Think Sheet

What are some of the determining factors that make the product worth more or less?  Why it worth what it is? i.e. collectors items, hot products, lots of commercials.

Were the consumers located?  Where do kids, geeks, and racers look for stuff?

Who are the authorities that determine the price of product? What is the Blue Book?

  The Job Aid

Creating a Chart on Excel.

1. Once you have entered in your information, highlight the information you want to have graphed. 
2. Go to the Insert menu and Click on Chart. 
3. Select the style of chart that best depicts your information. 
4. Click on next till you get to Step thee of four, in the Chart Title box name the chart as you wish. 
5. Click on Finish and move the Chart were you want in to be on the spreadsheet.

Look to the to of the Web Page for my NTeQ lesson plans ant Resume.