Math

=Math Lesson: Tie in to Out of the Dust and the Great Depression/Dustbowl Era. =

Essential Question/Topic: To gain knowledge of inflation and compare and contrast prices of goods and wages between 1929 and 2009.

 * Grade level:** 7th and 8th grade
 * Length of lesson:** One class period

Standard 1: Students develop number sense and use numbers and number relationships in problem-solving situations and communicate the reasoning used in solving these problems. Standard 2: Students use algebraic methods to explore, model, and describe patterns and functions involving numbers, shapes, data, and graphs in problem-solving situations and communicate the reasoning used in solving these problems. Standard 3: Students use data collection and analysis, statistics, and probability in problem-solving situations and communicate the reasoning used in solving these problems. Standard 4: Students use geometric concepts, properties, and relationships in problem-solving situations and communicate the reasoning used in solving these problems. Resources: **Computers with access to the internet, graph paper, current newspapers with advertisements.
 * Math Content Area State Standards **:
 * 
 *  Process: **
 * Introduction:** Inflation discussion. How much did toys and clothing cost during the Great Depression of the 1930's What would they cost today? What were the wages in 1929 and what are they today?


 * 1. What Did it Cost?** Students will look at the [|Then and Now: Prices Table]. In the left column is a list of women's clothing, men's clothing, games, toys and household goods. In the middle column, the price of each of these items is listed based on advertisements from 1932. Complete the table using current newspaper advertisements. Some of those prices look pretty low compared to today's costs, don't they? Why do you think that is?

Which of the items on the price list might people put off buying during the Great Depression when cash was scarce? Rank the items from most necessary to least neccessary for daily life.
 * 2. Purchase Power Comparison:** Look at the [|Then and Now: Wages] part of the table. Do people earn more or less now than they did in the 1930's? How did the prices compare to the wages? Students will determine how many hours of work per week would it take to buy the listed items in 1929? Then determine at today's prices and wages how many hours it would take to buy those same items. Hint: Divide the weekly wage by 40 to determine an hourly wage. Construct a table to show how many work hours it would take to purchase each item in 1929 and now.


 * 3. Times Change.** Students will list ten common household items now that did not exist in 1929. List ten jobs now that did not exist in 1929. Students will use the [|Inflation and Time Value of Money CPI Calculator] to find out what other things may have cost in 1929 based on today's prices. (When you go to the link above, look at the section What is a dollar Worth? on the right under the search bar.) Keep in mind what things did not exist during 1929 so don't use those things. Look up at least ten items.

For 5 Points: The table is completed and the question is answered fully. For 3 Points: The table is missing a few items and the question is only partially completed. For 1 Point: The table is missing many items and the question is not answered correctly. For 5 Points: The table is constructed and completed correctly. The hourly wage has been calculated correctly and the work hours calculated is correct. The ranking list is complete, logical and supported by the table. For 3 Points: The table is constructed correctly but some of the calculations are not correct and complete. The ranking list is partially complete and is not fully supported by the data in the table. For 1 Point: The table has many mistakes and is not constructed properly. There are many mistakes in the calculations. The ranking list is only partially finished or is not supported by the table. For 5 Points: At least 9 household items and jobs are listed. At least 9 items were looked up on the Inflation Calculator.  For 3 Points: At least 7household items and jobs are listed. At least 7 items were looked up on the Inflation Calculator. <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"> For 1 Point: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Less than 7 household items and jobs are listed. Less than 7 items were looked up on the Inflation Calculator. Bibliography: **
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-size: 120%;">Assessment: **
 * 1. What Did it Cost?**
 * 2. Purchase Power Comparison:**
 * 3. Times Change:**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-size: 120%;">

Michigan State Website. (2009).//Then and now: prices.// Retrieved July 13, 2009, from www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19268_20778-52530--,00.html

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. (2009). //What is a dollar worth?// Retrieved July 13, 2009 http://www.minneapolisfed.org/ <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">