Submitted by: Mary Larson
School: John Rolfe Middle School
Summary
Working in groups of 2-3, students take on the role of Housing Consultants to assist hypothetical families in finding the best home for one family’s specific needs. Each group is assigned a different client family — each with a unique family situation (health issues, aging grandparents, changes in family size, etc.). The student/consultants must use the 3 basic housing needs and the 8 factors which influence housing decisions to help their client family to find the very best home possible. Student/consultants work within a given budget and family data and use actual Internet real estate websites to find the right house for their client family. Once they have evaluated all of the data, the student/consultants create a PowerPoint presentation and will meet with a representative of the family (teacher playing role of family member) to review their housing options and to make their final recommendations re: the purchase of the family’s new home.
TIPC Ratings
Approaching: the students synthesize information from a variety of Internet resources to address an authentic task—determining the ideal house for the given family.
Developing: students work in groups to accomplish class assignments using digital tools to collaborate and communicate.
Approaching: students justify decisions made and solve authentic problems while thinking critically.
Developing: students use technology to generate products—presentations for the family/clients using digital tools.
Student Artifact
Download Files
- Lesson Plan
- Student Power Point Presentations
- Buying-Renting Worksheet
- Student Assignment Sheet
