Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Budgeting: Tracking Spending by Balancing Checkbook

Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 5
Content Standard Addressed: SS5E4 Identify the elements of a personal budget (income, expenditures, and
saving) and explain why personal spending and saving decisions are important.

Technology Standard Addressed: Loti: Awareness, Exploration, Infusion, Routine Integration

ISTE: Students are becoming/acting as: Empowered Learners, Digital Citizens, Knowledge Constructors,
Innovative Designers, Computational Thinkers, and Creative Communicators

Selected Technology Tool: Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ X Remembering ☐X Understanding ☐X Applying ☐ X Analyzing ☐X Evaluating ☐
XCreating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐X Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):UDL principles of multiple means of representation will be done by
students handwriting expenditures and transferring to a spreadsheet. Multiple means of expression will be
used by showing a paper checkbook, as well as a spreadsheet and budgeting software. Multiple means of
engagement would involve students tracking and recording their expenses in different ways, as well as
exploring different areas of budgeting using a variety of different tools.

Lesson idea implementation: Students will be introduced to budgeting by a presentation of income and
expenses, along with a class discussion. Balancing a checkbook and tracking expenses will be introduced and
explained. Students will be told that they can track their expenses using Excel, and they are going to learn
how. Students will be provided a handout that tells them what to enter in each cell of the spreadsheet, as
well as how to set it up. This project could take several hours over multiple days to complete. Students will be
assessed by viewing their final spreadsheets.

Learning will be differentiating by providing needed assistance to students who need it. ELLs will be provided
instruction in their first language by another student, Google translate, or by a copy of instructions in their
native language.

The lesson will be extended by discussing and demonstrating all areas of budgeting. This could include
tracking income, and discussing saving and investing. The lesson will be concluded by answering any student
questions and reinforcing the importance of budgeting. Feedback will be verbal and written on their
spreadsheets after completion. Those needing more work will be provided additional help.

Reflective Practice: Many students have no idea how to create a budget, or why it’s important. This lesson
will hopefully show them how to track expenses, and spark interest in budgeting. Extensions are discussed
Spring 2018_SJB
 Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
above, other areas of budgeting will be discussed/taught. Powerpoint could be used to present ideas on
budgeting. Websites could be explored to let students find the best deals on products.Many math lessons
could evolve out of this lesson.

Spring 2018_SJB