Middle Practical Living Skills/Vocational Studies

Consumersim Subdomain

8^th Grade

Academic Expectation:

2.30 Students evaluate consumer products and services and make effective consumer decisions.

Organizing Standard:

Accessing and assessing consumer information, comparing and evaluating products and services, and critiquing advertisements are necessary for making effective consumer decisions.

Core Content for Assessment: PL-M-3.1.1 A comparison of needs vs. wants will influence consumer decisions. PL-M-3.1.2 Products and services are compared and evaluated based on a range of considerations (e.g., price vs. quality, generic vs. name-brand, comparison shopping vs. impulse shopping, immediate availability vs. advance ordering). PL-M-3.1.3 Media, technology, and cultural influences (e.g., method and mechanics of presentation, peer pressure, advertisements, desire for status, cultural diversity) have an impact on consumer choices of adolescents. PL-M-3.1.4 There are positive and negative aspects of advertising (e.g., providing accurate or misleading information, gimmicks). PL-M-3.1.5 Environmental issues (e.g., pollution) should be considered when making consumer decisions (e.g., recycling, reducing, reusing).

Demonstrators: Compare products by price, quality, and availability to make informed decisions Analyze personal consumer purchases Defend personal and family consumer purchases Consider environmental issues when making consumer decisions Analyze the impact of consumer decisions on the environment

Specific Activities:

Plan a shopping list considering environmental issues, cost and advertising influences.

Investigate buying trends of young people. Include influences (e.g., media, technology, cultural) on those buying trends.

Critical Vocabulary: need, potential, wants, values, refusal skills, goods, service, consumer, advertisement, information ad, image ad, media, infomercial, commercial, impulse buying, department store, specialty store, chain store, factory outlet, discount store, warranty, redress, expires, shoplifting, exchange, refund, natural resources, pollution, conservation, insulation, energy efficient

 

Middle Practical Living Skills

Consumerism Subdomain

8^th Grade

Academic Expectation:

2.30 Students evaluate consumer products and services and make effective consumer decisions.

Organizing Standard:

As consumers, people must learn to determine their personal needs and manage their resources.

Core Content for Assessment: PL-M-3.2.1 There are financial management practices (e.g., budgeting, saving) for achieving short- and long-term goals.

Demonstrators: Describe budgeting procedures for achieving short- and long-term goals Demonstrate budgeting procedures used to manage personal finances Develop strategies for managing personal finances and/or resources Compare the cost of purchasing specific items by cash versus credit Describe common banking transactions

Specific Activities:

Research an expensive item for teen purchase and develop a plan to purchase that item.

Compare various budgets (teacher or student generated), analyzing problems and making suggestions to improve each budget.

Critical Vocabulary: income, expenses, fixed expenses, budget, interest, layaway plan, debit card, credit, goals

 

 

Middle Practical Living Skills

Consumerism Subdomain

8^th Grade

Academic Expectation:

2.33 Students demonstrate the skills to evaluate and use services and resources available in their community.

Organizing Standard:

People rely on services and resources provided through private, public, and voluntary agencies.

Core Content for Assessment: PL-M-3.3.1 A range of resources and services are provide by community agencies: Public health department Fire department Police department Family resource centers Hospitals Nonprofit organizations (e.g., American Heart association, American Red Cross, American Cancer society) PL-M-3.3.2 Improving environmental conditions (e.g., air and water quality) and preserving natural resources impact personal and community health.

Demonstrators: Evaluate agency and governmental standards and the part they play in the reduction of health risks Describe the role of individuals and society in conserving resources Examine health-related problems in local, state, national and international communities Implement strategies to help reduce community environmental problems Differentiate among various governmental, health and safety, regulatory agencies Analyze the roles of various health care providers

Specific Activities:

Prepare a video describing the various governmental health and safety agencies in the community.

Conduct a survey of the health needs and concerns of adolescents. Create visuals (posters, brochures, displays) showing resources available to meet those needs.

Critical Vocabulary: specialist, health insurance, health maintenance organization (HMO), health services, prevention, maintenance, treatment, primary care provider, managed care, Medicare, Medicaid, public health, ordinance, sanitation

 

 

Middle Practical Living Skills

Consumerism Subdomain

8^th Grade

Academic Expectation(s):

2.30 Students evaluate consumer products and services and make effective consumer decisions.

Organizing Standard(s): Accessing and assessing consumer information, comparing and evaluating products and services, and critiquing advertisements are necessary for making effective consumer decisions

 

Prompt:

Bruce and Rob are shopping for new basketball shoes. Bruce wants the newest model of a popular brand that is endorsed by a famous professional player. Rob knows that neither of them has the money for the popular shoes and they both need shoes before tryouts on Monday.

Directions:

A. Explain the difference between needs and wants when making a purchase.

B. Explain three factors that may influence choices.

Scoring Guide for Question: New Shoes

Score 4 point: 5 more points of information.

Score 3 point: 3 or 4 points of information

Score 2 point: 2 points of information

Score 1 point: 1 point of information

Score 0 point: No response or response is irrelevant to the question.

Each of the following counts as one point of information.

Part A: Needs vs. Wants (maximum of 2 points)

Part B: Factors that influence you to buy (maximum of 3 points)

 

 

 

Middle Practical Living Skills

Consumerism Subdomain

8^th Grade

Academic Expectation(s):

2.30 Students evaluate consumer products and services and make effective consumer decisions.

Organizing Standard(s):

As consumers, people must learn to determine their personal needs and manage their esources.

 

Directions:

A. Explain the importance of budgeting.

B. Outline a short-term or weekly budget for an average teenager.

Scoring Guide for Question: Budgeting

Score 4 point: Thoroughly explain the importance of budgeting. Outline completely a weekly budget.

Score 3 point: Explains the importance of budgeting. Outline a weekly budget.

Score 2 point: Briefly explains budgeting. Attempts to outline a budget.

Score 1 point: Explains budgeting. Or, attempts to outline a budget.

Score 0 point: No response or response is irrelevant to the question.

Part A: Importance of budgeting:

Part B: Outline a budget:

 

 

Middle Practical Living Skills

Consumerism Subdomain

8^th Grade

Academic Expectation(s):

2.33 Students demonstrate the skills to evaluate and use services and resources available in their community.

Organizing Standard(s):

People rely on services and resources provided through private, public, and voluntary agencies.

 

Prompt: The student council wants to begin a recycling program. You have been asked to give a short informative report on recycling at the next meeting.

Directions:

Explain 3 benefits of recycling.

Discuss 2 ways recycling can impact community or personal health.

Explain two steps the school could do to reduce solid waste.

Scoring Guide for Question: Recycling

Score 4 point: 7 points of information

Score 3 point: 5 or six points of information

Score 2 point: 2, 3 or 4 points of information

Score 1 point: 1point of information

Score 0 point: No response or response is irrelevant to the question.

Each of the following counts as one point of information.

Part A: Benefits of recycling

Part B: Community health benefits

Part C: Steps to recycle

answers will vary and may include recycling projects, poster contests, essay contest, classrooms activities that promote awareness, etc.