Cross-Curricular Expectations
H&PE
A1. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills, D2. Making Healthy Choices, D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Math (Social-Emotional Learning Skills)
A1. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills and the Mathematical Processes: Apply, to the best of their ability, a variety of social-emotional learning skills to support their use of mathematical processes and their learning in connection with the expectations in the other five strands of the mathematics curriculum
Mathematics (Number Sense and Numeration)
Number Sense and Numeration (Grades 7-8):
Grade 7:
B1 Fractions, Decimals, and Percents
- B1.6 round decimal numbers to the nearest tenth, hundredth, or whole number, as applicable, in various contexts
- B1.7 convert between fractions, decimal numbers, and percents, in various contexts
Grade 8
B1 Fractions, Decimals, and Percents: B1.4 use fractions, decimal numbers, and percents, including percents of more than 100% or less than 1%, interchangeably and flexibly to solve a variety of problems
Mathematics (Financial Literacy)
F1.5 Consumer and Civic Awareness (Gr.8): compare various ways for consumers to get more value for their money when spending, including taking advantage of sales and customer loyalty and incentive programs, and determine the best choice for different scenarios
Financial Management (Gr.7, Gr.8):
- F1.4 (Gr.7): identify various societal and personal factors that may influence financial decision making, and describe the effects that each might have
- F1.3 (Gr.8): identify different ways to maintain a balanced budget, and use appropriate tools to track all income and spending, for several different scenarios
Language
- Oral and Non-Verbal Communication: apply listening, speaking, and non-verbal communication skills and strategies to understand and communicate meaning in formal and informal contexts and for various purposes and audiences
- Knowledge about Texts: apply foundational knowledge and skills to understand a variety of texts, including digital and media texts by creators with diverse identities, perspectives, and lived experience, and demonstrate an understanding of the patterns, features and elements of style associated with various text forms and genres. Developing Ideas and Organizing Content: plan, develop ideas, gather information, and organize content for creating texts of various forms, including digital and media texts, on a variety of topics
Activity Description
Students explore factors that can influence how and why they make (financial) decisions and how those decisions can have an impact on their well-being.
Learning Goals
I can show awareness of factors that influence decisions by justifying choices after analyzing and evaluating options.
Materials
Key Concepts
- Considering future and life events
- Decision-making
- Making healthy choices
Prior Knowledge and Skills
- Behaviours that may contribute to addictions
- Decision-making
- Decision-making strategies
- Factors (influence on decisions)
- Short and long-term impacts of decisions
Minds On
- Have students generate a list of potential decisions students their age may need to make in the present or in the future. This can be done as a Think-Pair-Share activity.
- Have groups identify strategies they have used to make decisions in the past.
- Optional: Use the Idea Web (refer to Materials) to explore sample scenarios, factors that influence decision-making, and strategies that might be applied.
- Lead a brief sharing session.
Action
- Introduce the STAAR Decision Model (refer to Materials) with common factors that influence decisions. Divide students into small groups and provide them with 1-2 Scenario Cards. They must work through the Decision Model taking into consideration the factors that could have influenced their decision in the end.
- Groups repeat the process with one of the situations discussed in the Minds On.
Consolidation
- Have groups present the decisions they made, and discuss their decision-making process, by explaining influencing factors.
- Lead a class discussion as students analyze, evaluate and provide peer feedback.
- Have students complete a journal entry about the decision-making experience.
Debrief
- How do you think making personal and financial decisions using this process could impact your ability to resolve situations/problems in the present or future?
- Can you think of any other factors that have influenced your personal and financial decisions in the past?