Take a Vacation

Objectives & Outcomes

The students will be able use information from Internet sites, brochures, or advertisements to plan a vacation using a set amount of starting money.  They will be able to account for all the expenses involved and its affordability.

Materials Needed

Internet access or lists of prices for hotel rooms, food, rental car rates, and other expenses for a typical vacation; worksheet to record expenses

Prepare ahead of time:  List of websites for students to visit or handouts/lists of prices for vacation-related expenses, car rentals costs, room rates, food prices, etc.

Procedure

Opening to Lesson

• Once students are seated, ask the following questions:  Who needs a break from school? And, where would you want to go if you had $????
• Have students share their responses.
• Next, ask students what expenses would be involved?  List answers on the board.
• Tell students they will now plan a trip for their vacations.

Body of Lesson

Modeling

• Teacher will share a simple personal experience and the costs involved, stressing the importance of planning ahead of time.
• Begin listing further, other expenses on the board students will have to consider.
• Distribute the worksheet showing how to record expenses.

Guided Practice

• “Give” students the amount of money they have to use.  Tell them they are restricted to renting a car only for transportation.
• Tell them they cannot go alone, they must have two other people with them and must account for their expenses as well.
• Allow students access to websites for researching costs or distribute handouts/lists of possible expenses for hotels, rental cars, etc.
• Students must consider length of trip, discount possibilities, etc.
• Remind students of hidden expenses such as tips, fees, etc.
• Once completed, let students share the vacation they chose, details of expenses, highest cost item, changes they made due to costs, and other information.

Independent Practice

• Ten or so word problems related to expenses of other activities in life.
• Students write a short summary of their trip and the costs involved to persuade someone else to visit the same location.
• Collect all written work, completed worksheets and use for assessment.

Closing

Ask students what their biggest surprise was about the planning, and something they didn’t think of during the planning and budgeting of the vacation.  Allow students to share and give an example from personal experience.

Assessment & Evaluation

Word problems related to various other costs and expenses for other activities in life:  buying a house, weekend getaways, new car, etc.

Modification & Differentiation

Start with more or less funds.  Work in pairs.  Lengthen or shorten vacations.  Use a one-day getaways for classrooms where long trips may not be a reality.  

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