May 29, 2022

Math Monday: Move to Understand Inflation

Inflation has been all over the news these past few months! So how can you leverage students’ curiosity to talk about inflation in the classroom? This fun MOVE activity will get your students excited to explore inflation and exponential growth, whether you teach math or personal finance!

In MOVE: Understanding Inflation, students see a question about prices or purchasing power over time. Then, they guess the answer and move to the corresponding place in the classroom. Finally, the correct answer is revealed! 

 

Example slide from the activity, reading when did a McDonald’s hamburger cost $0.15?

There are 3 rounds in this activity:

  1. Guess the year
  2. Guess the price
  3. Guess the effect on purchasing power

 

Here are some discussion questions you might ask during this activity:

  • Describe the relationship between price changes and purchasing power.
  • How would inflation impact the value of your savings over time?
  • Considering the impact of inflation, why is investing important?
  • How can an average annual inflation rate of 2% cause such a significant price change?

 

Where Can I Find the Answer Key?

To find the answer key, go to the Financial Algebra course page and scroll to Unit 5: Intro to Investing and Exponential Functions. Then, find the activity in the Lesson Guide for FA-5.1 Why Should I Invest?

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Interested in inflation? Check out FINCAP FRIDAY: Prices on the Rise.

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About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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