Advanced+BTA

**January 3-13, 2012**

 * A Car for College?**

Students will create a budget and project savings for 2 years. They will project using their savings to purchase a car for graduation.

2.)Introduce students to the Federal Reserve Bank website at [|www.frbatlanta.org] . Have them locate and explore the [|Education link] . Students will click the [|Interest Rates] link under Personal Financial Education and read the introduction to the affects of interest rates on individuals. 3.)Have students visit [|The Dallas Federal Reserve] to explore various methods of budget planning and saving. This link will also provide samples of various loan terms to indicate the difference in total spending for choosing each term. 4.)Students will visit the [| Philadelphia Federal Reserve] website to explore how to build credit and apply for a loan in the future. From this link they will note that establishing a bank account and applying for a small line of credit will help them achieve their dream of purchasing a vehicle after high school. They will see how savings accounts can help them borrow money (collateral). 5.)Students will visit the [|Philadelphia Federal Reserve] to explore how financial institutions check their credit rating to determine eligibility for a loan. They can see from the site how their credit rating will affect their ability to borrow money. 6.)Students will visit the [| Department of Labor] to find minimum wage information and the number of hours students are allowed to work. 7.)Students will open the "CarBudget" file that has been provided in the attachments. They will enter a formula to multiply the minimum wage currently posted on the U.S. Department of Labor website times the number of hours they plan to work each week times 4 (number of weeks in the month). Months during school breaks will incorporate more hours worked. 8.)To estimate the amount the student can spend to purchase a vehicle, they will search various vehicle manufacturer websites such as [|Chevrolet], [|Nissan] , eg.). While researching these sites, they will note interest rates offered by the manufacturer. After finding a published interest rate, the student will open the "LoanCalculator" file provided in the attachments. 9.)In the "LoanCalculator", the student will input the published interest rate, either 4 or 5 for the number of years, and begin to enter various amounts in the principle field. Students will change the principle until an amount is found that yields a payment the student can afford on the current budget. Since the student previously developed a budget that incorporated saving money, the student can use any part of that savings to pay a down payment on a vehicle. This allows the student to purchase a vehicle that has an MSRP that is higher than the principle. (If a student has $6,000 at the end of 2 years that they wish to use, and a payment on $10,000 is affordable, the student is allowed to spend a total of $16,000 on the vehicle.) 10.)The total amount a student can spend on a vehicle will be used to locate a vehicle that will be purchased and added to the budget. For example, if a student can afford payments on $10,000 with his/her current earnings rate, the student will begin to search for vehicles that cost $10,000 plus the down payment. 11.)After finding an affordable vehicle, the student will create a PowerPoint presentation to show the class their vehicle. The PowerPoint will be used to show the vehicle, its features, cost, down payment, interest rate, and payment. 12.)The pre-vehicle budget will be added to the presentation as well as the budget including a payment and fuel/oil estimated expenses. Students will show differences in the budgets such as changes in spending on clothes and entertainment to allow for the purchase of a vehicle. 13.)Students will present their PowerPoint project to peers and answer questions about their research. 14.)Complete "A Car for College" quiz again as a post-test.  





=**January 17-20** Business Communication = <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This week students will learn about Business Communication

Students will write a cover letter for the job they wish to obtain upon completing college.
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1.) Students will choose a service or retail business that they would like to own. They will give their company a name and an address. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">2.) Students will learn how to create various styles of letters. Using the handout "Business Letters," students will discuss when it would be appropriate to use each type of letter. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">3.) Students will view samples of each letter discussed and compare the differences in formatting for each style letter (using "Sample Letters" handout). <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">4.) Students will create 5 business letters relating to their imaginary business. (See "Create a Business Letter" handout). <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">