Brett M.

Dodrill (Poca High School)

Mortgages and Responsible Living (12th Grade Civics)
April 16, 2015
Instructional Objectives / Student Outcomes
SS.12.E.9 - Students will be able to simulate managing of income of a household:
A) determine what makes up the cost of living and how it varies in different locations.
B) saving for emergency situation and long-term goals.
SS.12.E.10 - Students will be able to examine the advantages and disadvantages of
different types of consumer debt to make sound financial decisions (e.g., home loans,
credit card debt, rent-to-own)
SS.12.E.12 - Students will be able to assess and develop financial habits that promote
economic security, stability, and growth:
A) Investments (Home improvements, etc.)
B) Insurance (Homeowners insurance, etc.)
WV CSOs
SS.12.E.9 - Students will be able to simulate managing of income of a household:
A) Determine what makes up the cost of living and how it varies in different locations.
B) saving for emergency situation and long-term goals.
SS.12.E.10 - Students will be able to examine the advantages and disadvantages of
different types of consumer debt to make sound financial decisions (e.g., home loans,
credit card debt, rent-to-own)
SS.12.E.12 - Students will be able to assess and develop financial habits that promote
economic security, stability, and growth:
A) Investments (home improvements, etc.)
B) Insurance (Homeowners insurance, etc.)
National Standards
NCSS Standard 3.H - Social studies programs should include experiences that provide
for the study of people, places, and environments, so that the learner can examine the
interaction of human beings and their physical environment, the use of land, building of
cities, and ecosystem changes in selected locales and regions.
NCSS Standard 4.F - Social studies programs should include experiences that provide
for the study of individual development and identity, so that the learner can explore

factors that contribute to ones personal identity such as interests, capabilities, and
perceptions.
NCSS Standard 7.A - Social studies programs should include experiences that provide
for the study of how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of
goods and services, so that the learner can give examples that show how scarcity and
choice govern our economic decisions.
NCSS Standard 7.B - Social studies programs should include experiences that provide
for the study of how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of
goods and services, so that the learner can distinguish between needs and wants.
Management Framework
Overall Time: 90 Minutes
Time Frame: Free Write (10-15 Minutes) Understanding Mortgages: The
Basics (15-20 Minutes) Khan Academy: Renting vs. Buying A Home +
Discussion (15 Minutes) Understanding Credit (10-15 Minutes) Mortgage
Meltdown (20 Minutes) Reflection (10 Minutes)
Strategies
Teacher Led Discussion (PowerPoint presentations)
Application-driven Deskwork (Rent vs. Buy worksheet) & Discussion
Technology-Based Learning (Khan Academy, Mortgage Meltdown)
Differentiated Instruction / Adaptations / Interventions
I will present most material in two different formats: auditory and visually. Additionally, I
will make sure to give everyone ample time to complete their assignments.
Procedures
Free Write (10-15 Minutes) + Short Discussion on Cost of Living (5 Minutes)
Students will be asked to draw the home of their dreams. They will need to include
everything about it, including details such as a two-car garage or an in-ground pool.
They will also be asked to include the location of the home by drawing the state as best
they can in the upper left-hand corner of their paper. Finally, they will be asked to list a
price for this house.
Have students visit (http://www.areavibes.com/cost-of-living-calculator/) and select
Charleston, WV and then wherever the location they want to live is. Have them look at
the Cost of Living comparison.

Show students (http://www.trulia.com/home_prices/) and show them Listing Price and

Sales Price
Understanding Mortgages: The Basics (15-20 Minutes)
PowerPoint Presentation on Understanding Mortgages
Now, you have a big decision to make: should I purchase a home, or should I rent?
We're gonna take a quick look at the difference (besides the obvious ones) with a short
video brought to you by the Khan Academy.
Khan Academy: Renting vs. Buying A Home (12 Minutes + 3 Minute Discussion)
(https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/corefinance/housing/renting-v-buying/v/renting-versus-buying-a-home)
Of course, the decision to rent vs. buy is based on many different decisions. The
primary decision is, of course, your personal income. What are some of the other
variables that will decide whether you should buy or rent?
Rent vs. Buy Worksheet (10 Minutes)
https://www.incharge.org/docs/education-library/t-sg-l5.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Understanding Credit (15-20 Minutes)
PowerPoint Presentation on Understanding Credit
Now, if you choose to buy over renting, there is a little thing that can help you out called
investment! Basically, the idea is to take what you started with, and turn it into
something that can actually make you money on the other side. How do you think we
can go about doing this?
Mortgage Meltdown (20 Minutes)
(http://www.flasharcadegamessite.com/24447-Mortgage-Meltdown.html)
Reflection (10 Minutes)
I will assign the students three questions:
1. What are two reasons to rent a house instead of buy?
2. What are two reasons to buy a house instead of rent?
3. What are two things that you learned from todays class?
Assessment

Diagnostic: The Free-Write activity will unveil just how much they understand about
being realistic as far as their aspirations AS OF NOW are, and how much they
understand about Cost of Living and the concept of Mortgages.
Formative: The Rent vs. Buy worksheet will see if they understand the basic concepts
that would determine someones desire to buy vs. the feasibility of renting. Additionally,
the Mortgage Meltdown game will test their understanding of Investment into properties.
Summative: Students will offer up Reflection papers, asking:
1. What are two reasons to rent a house instead of buy?
2. What are two reasons to buy a house instead of rent?
3. What are two things that you learned from todays class?
Materials
Main Computer with Internet Access for Google Drive (PowerPoints)
Laptops with Internet Access for Cost of Living Calculator and Mortgage Meltdown
Writing Utensil for use with Note-Taking and
Blank, Lineless Paper for Free Write Activity
Lined Paper for Note-Taking
Rent vs. Buy Worksheet
Extended Activities
If Students Finish Early: Have students visit:
(https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/corefinance/housing/mortgages-tutorial/v/mortgage-interest-rates) to help them enrich their
knowledge on the subject of Mortgage rates.
If Lesson Finishes Early: Have students visit the Khan Academy video on Mortgage
Interest Rates (https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/corefinance/housing/mortgages-tutorial/v/mortgage-interest-rates) to help them enrich their
knowledge on the subject of Mortgage rates.

Post-Teaching
Planning: Procedures was BY FAR the most helpful part of my planning, as I am a very
process-driven person, and this mapped the process out well for me, and allowed me to
fit the learning aspects in an order that made them complete for me. I planned for higher
order thinking by having them construct their dreams, and then asked them to logically
think of all of the things that went into making that dream happen. I started with one
solid idea that they, themselves, formed and then asked them to explore everything that

they would need to do in order to reach that idea. Changes that I would make would be
to cover everything a little better, the same as my first lesson. I need to design activities
to help them actually put these concepts into practice. The WV CSOs fit into my lesson
because it served as a guide for what I needed to hit on, specifically. It helped me direct
my teaching, and my information that I taught them.
Implementation: This lesson went very well, and the student response was very
positive. The only thing about my lesson plan and the process overall that I need to
work on desperately would by time management. Everything that I planned took at least
twice the amount of time that I planned for, causing me to have to cut out entire parts of
my lesson, which I feel hurt the educational process overall.
Clarity of Presentation: My presentation of the lesson was spot-on in my estimation. I
feel that my language, volume, and tone were absolutely appropriate, and I was able to
keep my students engaged with my voice and actions. I walked the classroom much of
the time, so I feel that helped with keeping the students engaged and aware.
Attention to Individual Differences: I believe that my approaches were appropriate for
several different types of learners, specifically visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. For
visual learners, I had the Khan Academy presentation, for auditory learners, I had
lectures via PowerPoint and general lecture, and for kinesthetic, I had them draw
pictures, place a price tag, and also the game, Mortgage Meltdown.
Student Response: Student response for this lesson was wonderful. The whole
classroom was engaged and interested, and the main reason for that is the
understanding that the material is important to their lives.
Planning and Implementing Higher Order Skills: By reviewing economic aspects of
each region of the country, we were able to put together reasons as to why homes were
much more expensive in certain parts of the country. I then had them recalculate their
choice of where to live, and they were able to put together that they had to choose
somewhere that went according with what they could afford based on their career
choice.
Assessment: I was not able to reach the summative section of my lesson this time, but
I was able to assess them as they went with general understanding, and especially
during the Mortgage Meltdown activity. They were able to tell me the difference between
buying a home outright, and financing it. I would ask them their reasoning for financing
vs. buying outright, and what advantages could be had from doing that.

Special Addition: Two things that I need to work on for my 3rd Lesson would be: 1)
command of classroom, and 2) viewers guide for any sort of videos shown. Command
of the classroom is something that will come naturally, but it is never too early to start
honing this skill. Ms Hyatt informed me that my personality with the students was
perfect, but I need to be more commanding of the classroom, especially if I want to have
any respect from them. I need to implement viewers guides with videos or other visual
aids because of the attention that the students will give the video. My issue today was
that half of the class payed attention, and the other half did not, and this was because
they knew that there was no assignment to complete with the video.