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: besterd@dbl.newsltd.com.au

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

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ion

and

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in th

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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: $

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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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