Construction Technology

Financial literacy may be defined as “having the knowledge and skills needed to make
responsible economic and financial decisions with competence and confidence”.1 In addition to
acquiring knowledge in such specific areas as saving, spending, borrowing, and investing, students need
to develop skills in problem solving, inquiry, decision making, critical thinking, and critical literacy related
to financial issues. The goal is to help students acquire the knowledge and skills that will enable them to
understand and respond to complex issues regarding their own personal finances and the finances of
their families, as well as to develop an understanding of local and global effects of world economic
forces and the social, environmental, and ethical implications of their own choices as consumers.

Teacher’s Notes

Teacher should ensure: (a) Students are competent in reading drawings and tables; (b) Students are
competent in using tape measures (metric and imperial); (c) Students have access to a computer,
printer, word processing software, spreadsheet software, and have a valid login; (d) Students have
familiarity with spreadsheet software such as MS Excel © (e) Students understand assignment
requirements. (e) Copies, including extras, of the assignment and all handouts are readily available

Strategies Class Discussion/Whole Group:

- Provide visual examples of projects, such as a deck (the focus of this lesson). - Invite students to
estimate/guess the material-only cost of the structure. Teacher-Directed:

- Review parts of the construction project (e.g. deck - attached to house type).

- Highlight the major components/parts using correct terminology. - Provide an example list of parts
used for estimating and pricing.

- Introduce assignment and requirements – clarify questions. Group/Team:

- Assign teams of two (2).

- Explain roles and responsibilities of each team member (i.e. who does what). - Review preliminary
estimating results feedback to correct/improve. –

- Monitor as needed. Presentation:

- Prepare formal presentation (hard and electronic copy results). - Verbal presentation to class including
peer review

IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION AND PREPARATION OF SITE (Steps to be observed) Preliminary Site

investigation: 1 - Establish land ownership – Check with TITLE’S OFFICE for details. 2 - Access to the
property - The site should have clear means ( roads, pathways) - Access to the property. 3 - Perform Soil
Test - A soil test must be done to determine the nature and the load bearing capacity of the soil. 4 -
Availability of services - The availability of electricity and water service, is an important factor to