How to Become a Millionaire Without
Winning the Lottery!!
Presented by:
Brenda Dwyer
Fonville Middle School
Houston ISD
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Table of Contents
Purpose and
Background Info
Objectives
Student Directions
Student Questions
Extensions
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Purpose and Background Info
Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: FRI 10/29/99 Section: BUSINESS Page: 3 Edition: 3 STAR
"Poll: Many Americans depending on lotto luck"
This article deals with the fact that many Americans do not realize how wealth can be accumulated over time, especially low and middle income families. There have several articles in the past six months that cover the same information. We must make our students aware of the fact that investing on a regular basis is critical to their well being in future years.
The spreadsheet is an excellent tool to use for repeated calculations. The interest formula, I=P*R*T, can be used to illustrate how savings can multiply over time. When students calculate interest in a math classroom, only one repetition of the formula is normally used. Students concentrate on the calculations, not the idea of money accruing over time. The spreadsheet has a function called "fill down" which will be used in this lesson to show how compound interest accrues over time. This lesson not only teaches spreadsheet and mathematics formula use, but also fiscal responsibility. This lesson is geared toward a secondary level student in grades 6-12. The student should be familiar with a computer. A preliminary introduction to spreadsheets is useful. The student should also know how to apply the interest formula.
A spreadsheet application will be used to calculate interest when given principle, interest rate, and time. These calculations will be repeated until a certain monetary amount is attained. The student applies Grade 8 mathematics to solve problems connected to everyday experiences, investigations in other disciplines, and activities in and outside of school.
Opening an application program and creating a new
spreadsheet
Entering data in a spreadsheet
Formatting cells
Modifying, printing, and saving documents
Using a "What if " scenario to predict outcomes
Forecasting
Matching the chart style to the data when creating and labeling charts.
Solving problems: The student will use appropriate computer-based productivity tools to
create and modify solutions to problems.
Creating and editing spreadsheet documents using all data types, formulas and functions,
and chart information.
Math Objectives include, but are not limited by:
Students use concepts, algorithms, and properties of
rational numbers to explore mathematical relationships and to describe increasingly
complex situations.
Students use algebraic thinking to describe how a change in one quantity in a relationship
results in a change in the other; and they connect verbal, numeric, graphic, and symbolic
representations of relationships.
Students estimate and find solutions to application problems involving percents and
proportional relationships such as similarity and rates.
Students will read and write whole numbers and decimal numbers.
Objectives
Student Directions
Student
Questions Extensions
Brenda Dwyer 
dwyer@tenet.edu
Fonville Middle
School 725 E. Little York Houston,
Texas 77076
Houston Independent School
District
Sunday, February 17, 2002