The Honors Pre-Calculus recently completed an individual financial literacy project to showcase their understanding of how different mathematical applications are used in the “real world.” The project was started just four years ago, and Honors Pre-Calculus teacher Leigh Myers believes it was because students wanted more opportunities to showcase their knowledge, not just through graded assessments like tests and quizzes. She stated, “Students kept saying, ‘Why don’t we have more projects?’” Thus, the PDS Math Department created the Financial Literacy Project.
As stated in the rubric, the project consists of a 10 to 12-minute presentation about a topic related to consumer finance. A few of the topics that students have to choose from include mortgages, college costs, taxes, credit scores, and even the cost of raising a child. But, if a student has their own idea of a topic that they want to study, they are allowed to do so. After learning about the specific subject, the student will investigate a question related to their findings. In addition, students are encouraged to utilize the different formulas and mathematical concepts they learned throughout the year.
Because many concepts can be unfamiliar, Ms. Myers suggested that students start with a resource close to home. She shared, “I usually tell students to start with a family conversation because a lot of times they don’t even have a grasp of what the topic is. Just using familial resources is a good place to start, and then they can go on the web and do research.”
Additionally, Ms. Myers noted that students tend to enjoy the project. She mentioned, “We usually get pretty good feedback, because people are like ‘Wow, I needed to know that!’” Junior Sanjana Thakur, who is currently taking Honors Pre-Calculus, shared this same enthusiasm. She commented, “I think the math project is pretty fun, and it’s interesting to see real things that we will do in the future come to life.”
Another student in the class, junior Elle Haan, based her project on household budgeting and the impact that it has on taxes. She believed that this project helped her understand budgeting. She shared, “I didn’t really know anything before, but now I understand taxing and how to separate your money out.”
The presentations for the project took place all throughout the two weeks before Spring break, and condensed versions of the slideshows are posted in the math hallway, so all interested members of the PDS community can learn about the financial projects.
