ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:
FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE NEWSPAPER
Published by News Limited, 2009
Content written by Jan Kiernan
Fair copying of this publication is permitted for the purposes of teaching, review or research
Inquiries: Damian Bester Education Services Manager The Mercury GPO Box 334 Hobart TAS 7001 Phone: 03 6230 0736 Fax: 03 6230 0776 Email: [email protected]
Design and layout by Lewis Mathieson of digital flourish http://digitalflourish.net
Type set in 12pt Gentium.
Ideas for getting started
Newspaper scan: money, finance, marketing
Ask each student to look through a copy of the newspaper to find and cut out something that involves money or finance in some way. Ask the class to suggest how they could categorise the cuttings e.g. advertisements for food, travel, stock market, motor vehicles, clothing, finance for home loans etc. When they have decided on the categories have the students sort their cuttings into the categories. Ask them to present their information as a frequency graph and/or mind map.
Common language and terms
Have the students read through the cuttings they have gathered and make a list of common language and terms used e.g. 10% off, bargain…
Creating a travel brochure
Ask students to locate examples of features and advertisements on travel in the newspaper and use the examples they have found to create a travel brochure for a particular location including information about cost, transport, accommodation, what to see etc.
Developing vox pops
Ask students to work in groups to select and article or advertisement for a popular product and then interview classmates about their views on this product and its “value for money”.
Fina
nce
info
rmat
ion
and
mar
keti
ng
in th
e ne
wsp
aper
Share Market News
Newspapers include information on the Share Market to assist investors. Shares in some companies go up and down regularly,
others stay about the same. Let’s pick a few that you might be interested in and then you choose some of your own e.g. a bank, a
mining company…
Price on Monday
Move on Tuesday
Move on Wednesday
Move on Thursday
Close on Friday
Gain or loss for the week
BillabongCochlear (Bionic ear)ColoradoQantas AirwaysVirgin Blue
Watch out for negative numbers when the shares
go down!
Year High Year LowBillabongCochlear (Bionic ear)ColoradoQantas AirwaysVirgin Blue
The third column lists the highest cost of the shares for the year and the fourth column the lowest price for the year. What are the highest and lowest cost of the shares you
have looked at?
Start on a Monday.
Currency Exchange Rates
Newspapers include information currency exchange rates to assist investors and travellers.
Check the Australian dollar against these five other
currencies each day.
Australian dollar vs Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
$ United States (dollar)
¥ Japan (yen)
€ European Union (euro)
$ New Zealand (dollar)
£ United Kingdom (pound)
Country Currency AU$1.00=
Canada dollar
Fiji
Thailand
Switzerland
South Africa
Chile
Mexico
South Korea
Japan
India
Indonesia
Country Currency AU$1.00=
Singapore
Brazil
Philippines
Egypt
Bangladesh
Denmark
Iceland
Malaysia
Pakistan
Russia
Vietnam
Use the Universal Currency Converter
www.xe.com/ucc/
Find out what our dollar is worth in these countries and what their currency is called. Check to see if your newspaper prints details of these countries too. The first one is done for you. One Australian dollar (AU$1.00 ) equals:
Display Advertisements
Newspapers rely on display advertisements to help cover their production costs. Collect examples of display advertisements that depict products or services for sale. For example motor vehicles, travel, groceries, home loans etc. Create your own display advertisement using cuttings from the newspaper.
Buying groceries
Make a shopping list of products to buy from those advertised as specials in the newspaper. Where the same product has been advertised from different outlets, compare the price.
Product Price from outlet 1 Price from outlet 2 Price from outlet 3
TOTAL:
Travel advertisements and costs
Using travel advertisements published in the newspaper, select a holiday destination.
Option one
Company:
Cost:
What’s included:
Option three
Company:
Cost:
What’s included:
Option two
Company:
Cost:
What’s included:
Option selectedCompany:
Cost:
What’s included:
Why did you select this option?
Motor vehicle advertisements and costs
Imagine you have two options when buying your first car. You can buy a new car up to $45,000 or a used car up to $22,500. Find suitable advertisements in the
paper. Cut them out and place them in the boxes below. Give reasons why you might purchase the more expensive car and reasons why you might purchase the
less expensive car.
Decision
Why?
New car under $45,000
Reasons to buy
stick advertisments here...
Used car under $22,5000Reasons to buy
stick advertisments here...
Let’s make breakfast
Draw what you like for breakfast and find out how much each food costs.
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
I can bake a cake
To bake my cake I need ingredients. Make a shopping list and find out how much each ingredient costs.
Cost: $
Cost: $ Cost: $
Cost: $Cost: $Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
Buying a birthday present
You have been invited to a birthday party and you have $20 to spend. What will you buy? Look at the newspaper or catalogues to select a
presents. Select three different presents.
? What will you choose and why?
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
clo
thes
sh
op
SUPE
RMA
RKET
shoe
sh
op
BU
TCH
ER
NEW
SAG
ENT
CHEM
IST
Draw
you
r ow
n sh
oppi
ng c
entr
e
Imag
ine
t her
e ar
e si
x sh
ops i
n yo
ur lo
cal s
hopp
ing
cent
re. D
raw
a p
rodu
ct in
the
win
dow
of e
ach
shop
and
put
a p
rice
tag
on e
ach.
My Catalogue
Make your own catalogue. Cut out pictures of products from the newspaper or catalogues and make your own catalogue with price tags attached. Show different things on each page. For example one page for clothes, one for toys, one for shoes etc. Make up a name for each shop.
Design Your Own Coins
Design Your Own Coins
Australian coins
What is on the coin?
My coins
What is on your coin?
Make some coins out of play dough and cover them with foil and draw designs on them.
Catching The Bus
Draw a picture of your local bus in the box below.
If it cost $1.00 a day to go each way on the bus to school, how much would it cost you for the week?
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
To school
From school
Total:
How Much Does It Cost?
To the football
Cost: $
To the movies
Cost: $
To the museum
Cost: $
Draw pictures of the different activities and find out how much it costs for you to go.
Use this mind map to draw pictures of how you might be
able to earn pocket money. For example, cleaning your room.
!Earning Pocket Money
My Money Box
Draw a picture of your money box and work out how many coins you would need to save to save $10.00.
To save $10.00 i would need:
My money box
Your JEANS cost $60.00
Your T-SHIRT cost $40.00
Your JACKET cost $80.00
Your BELT cost $20.00
Your SHOES cost $100.00
Your SOCKS cost $5.00
How much all together?
Buying New Clothes
You have been to town to buy new clothes. How much will they cost?
Draw pictures of your new clothes and add up how much it will cost.
!
Shoes
Belt
Socks
T-Shirt
Jacket
Jeans
Buying a Pet
Draw a picture of your new imaginary pet.
Draw items your new pet will need. For example somewhere to sleep, food, playthings. Find out how much these items might cost.
Cost: $Cost: $Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
Cost: $
What change will you get?You have You buy What change will you get? You have You buy What change will you get?
4 pencils that cost 10 cents each 3 pens that cost 50 cents each
3 Textas that cost 5 cents each 5 tubes of paint that cost 1 dollar each
4 erasers that cost 20 cents each 5 paint brushes that coost 5 cents each
You have You buy What change will you get? You have You buy What change will you get?
4 pencils that cost 10 cents each 3 pens that cost 50 cents each
3 Textas that cost 5 cents each 5 tubes of paint that cost 1 dollar each
4 erasers that cost 20 cents each 5 paint brushes that coost 5 cents each
What change will you get?
Going on an Excursion
Pretend you are going on an excursion to the zoo. How much will it cost?
draw
the
bus
The bus will cost
draw
som
ethi
ng fr
om th
e zo
o
It will cost to get into the zoo
and for lunch
?How much will the
excursion cost?
How much??
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