Holiday Spending & Life Hours Student Worksheet.

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2 days ago
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Holiday Spending & Life Hours Worksheet Student Name: ____________________________

Date: ________________

1. List Your Top 3 Christmas/Holiday Gift Items:

Item 1: ________________________________________________

Item 2: ________________________________________________

Item 3: ________________________________________________

2. Research the Price and Country of Origin for Each Item:

Item 1 Price: __________________ Country of Origin: __________________

Item 2 Price: __________________ Country of Origin: __________________

Item 3 Price: __________________ Country of Origin: __________________

Total Cost of All 3 Items: ______________________________

3. Life Hours Calculation:

Person #1: $20 per hour Hours Needed = Total Cost ÷ 20 = __________________ hours Person #2: $50 per hour Hours Needed = Total Cost ÷ 50 = __________________ hours

4. Gross Pay vs. Net Pay: Gross Pay = Pay before taxes Net Pay = Pay after taxes (usually 15–25% deducted)

5. Reflection: Is the purchase worth the life hours required? Explain why or why not: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

🎄 Holiday Spending & Life Hours Lesson Plan

Financial Literacy – High School

Using the Florida Sunshine State Standards (CPALMS)

📘 Florida Sunshine State Standards (Aligned)

Personal Financial Literacy & Money Management (Grades 9–12)

Standard 1: Financial Decision-Making

PFL.1.1 – Describe factors that influence spending, saving, and financial decisions.
PFL.1.2 – Explain opportunity cost and trade-offs.
PFL.1.3 – Analyze short-term and long-term financial goals.

Standard 2: Earning Income

PFL.2.1 – Explain the difference between gross pay and net pay.
PFL.2.2 – Interpret a pay stub, including taxes and deductions.
PFL.2.3 – Evaluate how career choices affect income.

Standard 3: Budgeting & Spending

PFL.3.1 – Analyze the impact of personal taxes on disposable income.
PFL.3.2 – Explain how lifestyle and spending habits affect personal finances.
PFL.3.3 – Evaluate how financial decisions impact personal well-being.

Standard 4: Consumer Skills

PFL.4.1 – Compare prices and value of goods and services.
PFL.4.3 – Evaluate how country of origin impacts cost, quality, and economics.

🎯 Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Identify and research three desired Christmas/holiday gift items.
Compare costs and determine the country of origin for each item.
Calculate “life hours” required to purchase items, using two example wage rates:
- Person #1: $20/hour
- Person #2: $50/hour
Explain the concepts of gross pay, net pay, and taxes, and how these impact purchasing power.
Evaluate whether the items are financially reasonable based on income and hours worked.

📝 Lesson Duration:

90 minutes (can be extended to 2 days depending on depth of research)

🧑‍🏫 Materials Needed

Laptops or phones for price research
Student worksheet (optional—can be created)
Calculators
Whiteboard & markers

📚 Lesson Procedures

1. Warm-Up (10 Minutes)

Ask students:

“If someone gave you $500 today, what are the top 3 things you would buy—and WHY those items?”

Discuss impulse vs. planned purchases.

Introduce opportunity cost and trade-offs.

2. Gift List Activity Instructions (5 Minutes)

Students will choose three items currently on their Christmas/holiday gift list.

Examples:

PS5 controller
Nike shoes
iPhone case
AirPods
Makeup set
Jewelry
Gaming chair

3. Research Phase (20 Minutes)

Students must research for each item:

✔ Item Description

✔ Price (from 2 different retailers if possible)

✔ Country of Origin

✔ Total Cost for All 3 Items

Students record findings in a table. Teacher Tip: Encourage students to compare Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc.

4. “Life Hours” Calculation (20 Minutes)

Explain:

Every purchase requires trading a portion of your life — in hours of work.

Students calculate:

Life Hours = Total Cost ÷ Hourly Wage

They repeat this for two people:

Person #1: $20/hour

Person #2: $50/hour

Example: AirPods = $129

Person #1 → 129 ÷ 20 = 6.45 hours
Person #2 → 129 ÷ 50 = 2.58 hours

Students calculate for each item and then the total hours for all 3 items.

5. Gross Pay vs. Net Pay Mini-Lesson (10 Minutes)

Discuss:

Gross Pay

Total pay before taxes
Example: 10 hours × $20/hr = $200 gross

Net Pay

Take-home pay after taxes and deductions
Approx. 15–25% is lost to taxes (average starter assumption)

Why It Matters

Students realize that $20/hour does NOT equal $20 of spending power
Real spending power = net pay

Optional Add-On: Have students recalculate life hours using net pay instead of gross.

6. Group Discussion & Reflection (15 Minutes)

Students answer:

Which item required the most life hours?
Does knowing this change how you view buying it?
Which worker (Person #1 or #2) trades more of their life to afford these items?
Did the country of origin surprise you?
How do taxes and net pay change your viewpoint?

📊 Assessment

✔ Worksheet completion

✔ Correct calculations

✔ Participation in discussion

✔ Reflection paragraph:

“Is the purchase worth the life hours I would trade? Explain why or why not.”

🤝 Optional Extension Activities

Students create a holiday budget for gifts under $100 or $250.
Students research American-made vs. imported goods and compare costs.
Students rewrite their list to reflect financial responsibility and value.

🎄