ACADEMIC PREPARATION

WEEK TWO DAY ONE

Lesson Title: Review of Decimals

Subject Matter / Life Skill Area: Academic 

Learning Level / Prerequisite Skills: 9^th grade reading and math levels

Instruction Type: Group and Pair Work

Lesson Length: One hour

Overview /Rationale:

This activity is designed to review and re-teach computation with decimals, develop problem-solving skills and encourage critical thinking by applying math skills to the solution of everyday problems. Having students share how they solve problems can be very beneficial to those students who are less sure of this process as well as for ESL students who need more practice with the language of math.

Learning Objectives / Skills:

At the completion of the lesson, students will be able to identify the information needed to solve a word problem, identify the appropriate operation(s) and compute the answers to several everyday word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division.

Skills: Computation with decimals, problem solving, and critical thinking

Material /Equipment Needed:

Overhead Projector or Blackboard

Decimal Problems from an appropriate GED book

Handout: Using Decimals to Solve Problems, Solving the Problems, Problems #1 & 2

How to Prepare:

Think about the instances in life where decimals are used and how they are part of our everyday life. Write down as many examples that you can think of in order to show students how often we use decimal numbers.

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:

We use decimals everyday when we compute how much 10 gallons of gas will cost at $1.20 per gallon, how many lottery tickets can be purchased for $20, or how much money we need to pay our monthly bills. Decimals are a part of our everyday life.

Use the Overhead Projector or blackboard to quickly review the basic rules of working with decimals, emphasizing the position of the decimal point. Have students do a few sample computations from a GED workbook or from examples written on the board.

Review the rules of reading and computing decimals using basic math functions. Do sample problems on the board from a GED math book. If time, have students do additional sample problems using the board to work out the problems. Students can work in pairs for support.

Assign decimal problems from the GED math book that gives practice and review in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing with decimals. Allow students to work independently while you assist individually as needed, about forty-five minutes.

Presentation of Lesson:

Working in pairs, ask each two-person team to read problem number one and determine what the problem is asking for, what information is needed to solve the problem, and how the problem can be set up. (The hand-out, “Solving the Problems” is provided if students need additional help determining this information or may be used by the teacher as an overhead to review the problem solving process with the whole class). Students should compute their answers with their partners and compare their answers with other teams.

Practice / Activity:

Again, working in pairs, each team reads problem number two, determines what the problem is asking for, what information is needed and how to set up the problem. When pairs have calculated their answers, ask the teams to share their answers and the problem solving process with the class. Discuss any discrepancies among the answers and if necessary, solve together as a group.

Application / Transfer:

Brainstorm other situations where students need to use decimals to solve everyday problems. Have each pair write a word problem for another pair of students. Exchange problems, solve, and discuss results.

Reflection by Teacher:

Do the students seem to grasp how to compute with decimals and how to use this knowledge to solve problems? Do they need additional practice? For students who need additional practice, and as re-enforcement, ask students to work on decimal exercises when they use the GED software in Technology.

Planning for Next Lesson:

Plan to work individually with students on any problem areas they might have had with this lesson. Locate additional exercises in a GED math book, if necessary, and assign to students. Students should correct their own work so that they can highlight areas that are unclear and ask questions to correct errors.

HANDOUT

USING DECIMALS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

Problem One

Joseph has been hired as a sales representative for the Extel Satellite Company. His office is based in Washington, D.C. but this job requires a lot of travel each month and he must submit an expense statement at the end of each month to be reimbursed for his mileage. He is reimbursed $.25 for each mile he drives for work. Calculate his mileage and the amount he should be reimbursed for last month's travel.

 HANDOUT

SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

Problem Number One

What information do you need to solve this problem?

þ       Number of trips to each city

þ       Number of miles to each city (roundtrip)

þ       Cost per mile

How can you set up the problem?

Baltimore:                     5 trips x 80 miles round trip =                              ____________

Annapolis:                    3 trips x 60 miles round trip =                              ____________ 

Harrisonburg:                1 trip x 240 miles round trip =                             ____________

Richmond:                    4 trips x 200 miles round trip =                            ____________

                                    Total mileage for month =                                     ____________

Total mileage    _________              x $.25 per mile =                              ____________

OR

Baltimore:                     5 trips x 80 miles round trip x $.25 per mile =             ____________

Annapolis:                    3 trips x 60 miles round trip x $.25 per mile =            ____________

Harrisonburg:                1 trip x 240 miles round trip x $.25 per mile =            ____________

Richmond:                    4 trips x 200 miles round trip x $.25 per mile =            ____________

 HANDOUT

Problem Two

Elena is a single mother of two preschool aged children who has recently completed her GED. After filling out many job applications and going to many interviews, she has just received two exciting job offers. The first is with a local organization that offered her a starting salary of $10.50 an hour, plus benefits for a 40-hour workweek. The second job offer is with a large, international organization in the city. They offered her $11.75 an hour, also with benefits.

Elena needs to consider her options. One thing she needs to figure out is what her net weekly salary would be after expenses. Her childcare provider lives in her neighborhood and charges $5.00 an hour. Elena does not have a car so she will need to rely on public transportation to get to work. Bus fare to the first job would cost her $.85 each way takes her approximately 15 minutes to get there. To go to the city, Elena would need to take a bus and the Metro, which she estimates would be at least an hour each way and would cost her $5.30 round trip each day. Compare what Elena's net weekly salary would be after she deducts her weekly expenses for childcare and transportation.

What information do you need to solve the problem?

How can you set up the problem?

HANDOUT 

TEACHER'S WORKSHEET: SOLVING PROBLEM NUMBER TWO

This problem requires the students to collect more information than problem number one and also requires students to consider how much extra time Elena will need to allow to get to and from work each day.

JOB A

$10.50 hour x 40 hours per week = weekly salary

Expenses

            Childcare:                    $5 per hour x 40.5 hours* per week =            ________

            Transportation:  $1.70 per day x 5 days a week =                           ________

                                                Salary               ____________

                                                Expenses            ____________

                                                Net                   ____________

________________________________________________________________________

JOB B

$11.75 hour x 40 hours per week = weekly salary

Expenses

            Childcare:                    $5 per hour x 42 hours* per week =             ________

            Transportation:  $26.50 per day x 5 days a week =                           ________

                                                Salary               ____________

                                                Expenses            ____________

                                                Net                   ____________

*Students will need to consider how much time to allow for childcare and still b e able to get to work on time. The numbers shown here are for the minimum number needed.

________________________________________________________________________

Compare Job A to Job B

________________________________________________________________________

Extension:

Are these the only factors to consider when weighing job choices? What other factors should Elena consider before making her decision? 

Lesson Title: Identifying Topic and Supporting Sentences

Subject Matter / Life Skill Area: Academic

Learning Level / Prerequisite Skills: 9^th Grade Reading and Math Levels                                     

Lesson Length: One hour

Instruction Type: Whole group, pair and small group

Overview / Rationale:

This lesson is designed to help students differentiate between topic and supporting sentences while working with job related readings

Learning Objectives / Skills:

At the completion of this lesson, the student will be able to distinguish between a topic and supporting sentences, identify transition words which help establish sentence order and write a short paragraph which includes a topic sentence, supporting sentences and transition words.

Skills: Teamwork, writing

Material / Equipment Needed:

Overhead Projector

Colored Pencils or Markers

Handout: Handouts A, B, and C

Transparencies of hand-outs for the instructor

GED Textbook, such as Contemporary's GED Book

How to Prepare:

Have enough handouts for each student. It would be beneficial to the lesson to have a transparency of the handout.

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:

Writing a good paragraph requires a clear topic sentence and strong supporting sentences. Today’s lesson will help you identify what makes a good paragraph and aid you in the process of becoming a good writer.

Elicit from the students what is a topic sentence, what are supporting sentences, and what are some examples of transition words, which help establish sentence order.

Using a GED book (Contemporary's pg. 147), review topic, audience, and purpose subjects used in writing the GED essay.

(See Handout A, which may be used as a transparency for whole group instruction or as an information sheet to be handed out to students).

Presentation of Lesson:

Give students samples of paragraphs. These paragraphs may be from previous work, such as shown on Handout B, from letters to the editor in the local newspaper, GED workbooks, or any other appropriate source.

Ask students to scan the paragraphs and identify the topic sentence, supporting sentences and any transition words used in the paragraph. Ask students to underline the topic sentence in red, supporting sentences in blue and to circle the transition words in yellow.

Have a volunteer highlight the sentences in color on the transparency and allow students time to check their responses with those of the volunteer. Discuss any differences.

Practice / Activity:

Working in groups of four or five, have students do a jigsaw exercise. In this jigsaw activity, each group must re-assemble a paragraph in the best order possible.

Each member of the group has one or two sentences of the same paragraph. Working collaboratively, the group must put the paragraph back together in a logical order.

Paragraphs may be chosen from editorials, student work, exercise books, or the sample included on Handout C.

When each group has finished, the teacher should either read the original to the students or display on the overhead for students to self-correct. Discuss any differences, which have occurred. Are they significant? Was there any transition words that helped to order the paragraph?

Application / Transfer:

Students should begin to compose a paragraph of their own by choosing a topic, writing a topic sentence, developing strong supportive sentences and including transition words, if appropriate.

Suggested topics: Barriers to Work I Have Faced

     Different Roles I Play in Society

Reflection by Teacher:

Were students able to differentiate easily between topic and supporting sentences? Do they need additional practice? Did students apply the skills practiced to their own writing?

Planning for Next Lesson:              

Read over the other grammar lessons for this week and check for the pattern of continuity with grammar and job readiness topics.

HANDOUT A                                                                                                                                                                             

TOPIC SENTENCE

·       Most important sentence in the paragraph

·       States the purpose of the paragraph

·       Often the first sentence in the paragraph, but

may be found in the middle or at the end of

the paragraph

***************************************************

SUPPORTING SENTENCES

·       Explain the main idea

·       Provide the details

·       Prove the main point

**************************************************

TRANSITION WORDS

Words that help provide order logic or sequence to the paragraph.

first                      after that             then                       next

finally                   however              therefore              later

now                      second                  before                  meanwhile                    

HANDOUT B

Sample Paragraphs

            Elena needs to consider her options. One thing she needs to figure out is what her net weekly salary would be after expenses. Her child care provider lives in her neighborhood and charges $*** an hour.  Elena does not have a car so she will need to rely on public transportation to get to work.  Bus fare to the first job would cost her $*** each way and take her approximately 15 minutes to get there.  To go to the city, Elena would need to take a bus and the Metro which she estimates would be at least an hour each way and would cost her $*** round trip. 

            Reviewing your goals daily is a crucial part of your success and must become part of your routine.  Each morning when you wake up, read your list of goals that are written in the positive, already accomplished form, out loud.  Visualize the completed goal, see the new home, smell the leather seats in your new car, feel the cold hard cash in your hands.  Then each night, right before you go to bed, repeat the process. This process will start both your subconscious and conscious mind on working towards the goal.  This will also begin to replace any of the negative self-talk you may have and replace it with positive self-talk.

HANDOUT C

JIG-SAW ACTIVITY

This paragraph is an excerpt from an article written by Pat Bowyer and may be copied for classroom use.

Computer Literacy

            Nowadays, computer literacy is as important as any other form of literacy.  Several years ago, when I was first coming to terms with this fact, I found myself in the unusual role of having to depend on my children to both get me into the program I wanted to use on the computer as well as to bail me out when I ran into trouble. This was a role reversal and was not a completely positive experience.  First of all, my children were not always at home when I needed help. I often found myself stymied in front of the computer screen; afraid if I pushed the wrong button something terrible would happen.  I felt frustrated, powerless, inept and totally dependent. Nor could I understand how they could have learned so much so fast.  We hadn’t had a computer all that long and yet they seemed totally competent and fearless in the face of technology.  And lastly, they were not always very patient with me when I needed to ask them the same questions time after time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut the paragraph into sentence strips and give to members of each group. Each group needs the entire paragraph but sentences should be distributed out of sequence.

Nowadays, computer literacy is as important as any other form of literacy.

Several years ago, when I was first coming to terms with this fact, I found myself in the unusual role of having to depend on my children to both get me into the program I wanted to use on the computer as well as to bail me out when I ran into trouble.

This was a role reversal and was not a completely positive experience.

First of all, my children were not always at home when I needed help.

I often found myself stymied in front of the computer screen; afraid if I pushed the wrong button something terrible would happen.

I felt frustrated, powerless, inept and totally dependent.

Nor could I understand how they could have learned so much so fast. 

We hadn’t had a computer all that long and yet they seemed totally competent and fearless in the face of technology.

And lastly, they were not always very patient with me when I needed to ask them the same questions time after time.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

WEEK TWO DAY TWO

Lesson Title: Nouns and Contractions

Subject Matter/ Life Skill Area: Writing/Grammar

Learning Level: 9^th grade reading and math

Lesson Length: Two hours

Instruction Type: Lecture, group discussion, individual

Overview and Rationale:

This unit explores the different kinds of nouns: proper, common, collective, and possessive.  Use of the apostrophe in contractions vs. possessive pronouns is also covered. NOTE: Fragments and clauses have not been covered in this curriculum, but should be presented prior to nouns and contractions.

Learning Objectives / Skills:

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to change singular nouns to plural, changes both singular and plural nouns to possessives, re-writes contractions as two words, and differentiates between possessive pronouns and contractions.

Skills: Editing for punctuation and usage

Materials / Equipment Needed:

Handout: Those Babysitter Blues  (Forbes Magazine, 2/11/99) and

Nouns, Possessive Pronouns, and Contractions Chart

GED Writing Skills Book – Steck-Vaughn's “English Essentials: A Refresher Course” recommended

How to Prepare:

Obtain copies of handout, one copy for each student

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:

Ask the learners to name several creative solutions to the following scenario:

A father has an important meeting at work where he is responsible for making a proposal for a large government contract on his company’s behalf.  If he misses the meeting, it could cost his company thousands of dollars in lost income.  His wife normally cares for their 2-yr.-old child, but comes down with the flu and is too ill to care for the child.  What are their options?

List their suggestions on the board.

Tell the learners they are going to read about creative ways that companies are helping employees solve similar dilemmas.  Ask a volunteer to read the article out loud and invite student comments afterward. Tell the learners that they will be using the article shortly in conjunction with an exercise related to the following topic: nouns, use of apostrophes in possessive nouns, and contractions.

Presentation of Lesson:

1.      Define the following terms for the learners:  common nouns, proper nouns, and

      collective nouns.

Practice / Activity:

Using the handout, have the learners identify all the proper nouns, common

nouns, and collective nouns in the article by placing a P over the proper nouns, a

C over the common nouns, and an L over the collective nouns.  When they are

finished, discuss their answers.

2.       Using a GED writing skills book, discuss the rules for making singular nouns

       plural. 

 Practice / Activity: 

Have the learners change all the common singular nouns in the first paragraph to plural nouns and all the common plural nouns to singular nouns.

Application / Transfer:

Using a GED writing skills book, discuss the rules for making nouns Possessive.  Differentiate between possessive pronouns and contractions, especially its and it’s.

Practice / Activity:

Have the learners identify all the possessive nouns and contractions in the handouts by placing them in the appropriate column of the handout “Nouns, possessive pronouns, and contractions.” Review their answers and check for appropriate placement in the chart.  For each singular possessive noun listed in their charts, have them change it to the plural possessive form.  For each plural possessive noun listed in the chart, have them change it to the singular possessive form. For each contraction in the chart, ask them to write the contraction as two words.  Review their answers.

Ask for feedback after completing the exercise. The feedback could be from two perspectives, from the grammar lesson itself, or from the article and its perspective on childcare dilemmas. Give students the opportunity to discuss childcare issues.

Reflection by Teacher:

There are two agendas contained within this lesson. Were students successful with the grammar lesson? What issues on childcare came up during the discussion and how can students work to solve babysitting dilemmas?

Planning for Next Lesson:

Extension Activity: If students have babysitting dilemmas, have them check with local agencies that offer childcare and do a price comparison. What other factors are important when choosing childcare? What is the backup plan when unforeseen events occur?

HANDOUT

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

WEEK TWO DAY THREE

Lesson Title: Using Proportion to Solve Percent Problems

Subject Matter / Life Skill Area: Math

Learning Level: 9^th grade reading and math levels

Lesson Length: One hour

Instruction Type: Teacher-led and individual

Overview and Rationale: 

This activity is designed to teach learners how to solve percent word problems dealing with money, spending, and sales topics using proportion.  Learners will set up proportions and solve for the part, the whole, or the percent.

Learning Objectives / Skills:

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to set up proportions and solve for the part, the whole, or the percent.

Skills: Problem-solving, computation, using a formula, filling out forms.

Materials / Equipment Needed:

Handout: Percent Word Problems using Proportion

Adult Education math text that teaches percents using proportion and containing percent word problems.

Pencils and Paper  

How to Prepare:  

Make copies of handout, “Percent Word Problems using Proportion.”

Select 10 word problems that deal with money, spending, and sales topics from a GED math text.

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:  

Inform the learners that being able to solve for percent is a very useful life skill and one that is tested on the GED math exam as well.  Ask them to give you examples of situations in which they might need to find the percent of a number. 

Presentation of Lesson:

Hand out copies of the handout on percents.  Put the following statement on the blackboard:  $6 is 50% of $12.  Explain that a proportion is two equal ratios: 6/12 = 50/100.  Reduce the two ratios to ½ to illustrate this. 

Explain that the cross products of a proportion are equal.  Illustrate this by multiplying the cross products in the ratio above: 6 x 100 = 600 and 50 x 12 = 600. 

Explain that in percent word problems there are always three elements one must consider: the part, the whole, and the percent. Using the example given, $6 is 50% of $12, show the students that the percent is easily identified because it is followed by the percent sign or the word “percent”, the whole always follows the word “of” in the statement, and the part is the remaining number.  Point out to the students that in percent word problems the part is not always smaller than the whole; for instance, in the statement “12 is 150% of 8” the part (12) is larger than the whole (8).  

Practice / Activity:  

Using the handout on percents and 20 percent word problems from an appropriate text, as a group, have the learners identify whether each of the first ten problems is asking them to solve for the part, the whole, or the percent.  Have them circle the appropriate answer on the handout. For the next ten problems have the learners do the same thing, but individually. Go over their answers as a group when they are finished.  

Put the following formula on the board: part/whole = percent/100.  Tell them that this is the formula they will follow when setting up proportions to solve percent word problems.  Point out that the number 100 never changes in the formula because percent is based on 100%. When they have set up the problem, they should cross-multiply and then divide. Put the steps on the board: 1) Set up the proportion 2) Cross Multiply 3) Divide.

Do the first problem for them.

Application / Transfer: 

Have them work the remainder of the problems on their own, giving help as is necessary individually.

Reflection by Teacher:  

Were the students able to successfully set up the proportion in at least 75% of the problems?  For those students who were unable to do so, assign a proportion exercise to be completed in the academic segment of the Technology Strand. 

Planning for Next Lesson:  

Review percents lesson for tomorrow. Review any skills that will enhance the transfer of learning for this math application.

Lesson Title: Subject/Verb Agreement  

Subject Matter/ Life Skill Area: Reading/Grammar  

Learning Level: 9^th grade reading and math levels  

Lesson Length: One hour  

Instruction Type: Lecture, Individual  

Overview and Rationale:  

This activity is designed to teach learners the concept of subject/verb agreement and give learners practice identifying singular and plural subjects and matching them with their verbs in a workplace-relevant reading selection.

Learning Objectives / Skills:  

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to identify third person singular and plural subjects as well as verbs that do not agree in number with their subjects, write a paragraph using subject/verb agreement principles, and edit a paragraph for subject/verb agreement problems.  

Skills: Locating information, analytical thinking, grammar reinforcement, working as a team.  

Materials / Equipment Needed:  

Handout: Subject/verb agreement

Handout: Making Your Workplace Drug Free (from the Internet)

http://www.health.org.wpkit.efs5.htm

GED writing skills book (Contemporaries / Steck-Vaughn, etc.)

How to Prepare

Xerox Handout on subject/verb agreement and “Making Your Workplace Drug Free,” or download from Internet.  Select appropriate exercises from GED writing skills book dealing with subject/verb agreement problems.   

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:  

Tell the learners that subject-verb agreement is an area of grammar that is repeatedly tested on the GED writing skills exam.  Matching subjects and verbs in number can be difficult when sentences are long and complex or verbs are irregular.

Presentation of Lesson:

Give each student the handout on subject/verb agreement.  Review the concepts of first, second, and third person subjects and verb agreement with third person subjects.

Have one or two student volunteers read the handout “Making Your Workplace Drug Free” out loud for the class.

Practice / Activity:

Write the following directions on the board:

a.       Locate the following information in the handout: All third person subjects. 

b.      Identify each third person subject as singular (by underlining it and writing an S over it) or plural (by underlining it and writing a P over it.)

c.       Circle the corresponding verb for each subject identified.

Have the students follow these directions working in pairs, using the handout,

“Making Your Workplace Drug Free.”

Select an appropriate subject/verb agreement exercise from a GED writing skills text in which they must choose either a singular or a plural verb and match it to the subject in the sentence.  Have students complete the exercise individually.  

Application/Transfer:

Have each student write one paragraph on whether they think employers should be allowed to require their employees to be tested for drugs. Have them trade paragraphs with another student when they are finished and edit the other person’s paragraph Week for subject/verb agreement problems.

Reflection by Teacher:

Some students may require further practice with this exercise. Assign additional exercises to students who need/ want additional practice. Check with the GED software available for this course for additional assignments.

Planning for Next Lesson:

Review this lesson briefly (with students) before the lesson on subject-verb agreement/pronouns.

HANDOUT

Subject/Verb Agreement

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

WEEK TWO DAY FOUR

Lesson Title: Pronouns, Antecedents, and Agreement  

Subject Matter /Life Skill Area: Reading/Writing/Grammar  

Learning Level: 9^th Grade reading and math levels  

Lesson Length: One Hour  

Instruction Type: Lecture, individual, pairs  

Overview and Rational:

This unit is designed to integrate a workplace topic, family stress when parents work, and a grammar topic, pronoun agreement.

Learning Objective / Skills:

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to identify pronouns and their antecedents and edit a piece of writing for pronoun agreement errors. 

Skills:   Critical reading, group discussion, locating information, writing, editing for grammar.

Materials / Equipment Needed:

Handout: Pronouns and For Working Parents, Mixed News at Home (Excerpt from Washington Post, 9/27/99)

GED writing skills book with appropriate Pronoun/Antecedent exercises.

How to Prepare:

Make copies of the handouts for each student.

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:

Ask the learners their opinions on the effects of working parents on the lives of their children.  Engage them in a short discussion.  Tell them they are going to read an article about a study that showed that 2/3 of U.S. children worry about their working parents’ stress and fatigue.

Introduction / Warm Up / Review, Continued:

Pass out the article and ask volunteers to read it out loud for the class.  Ask them if they were surprised by the findings of the study.  Tell them they will be using the article to locate information in a few minutes.

Presentation of Lesson:

Pass out the handout on pronouns.  Using the pronoun chart give examples of pronouns used as subjects.  Ask them to find one example of a subject pronoun in the reading and one example of an object pronoun in the reading.

Define antecedent and go over the rules in the handout for pronoun agreement and give examples.  Ask the learners to fill in the pronoun/antecedent chart by finding ten pronouns in the article and listing their corresponding antecedents.

Practice / Activity:

Have the students complete an appropriate pronoun/antecedent exercise from a GED writing skills book that assesses their knowledge of the rules for pronoun/antecedent agreement.

Application/Transfer:

Ask the students to write a paragraph on one of the topics listed at the end of the article. When they are finished, have them trade paragraphs with another student and edit each other’s paragraph for pronoun/antecedent errors.

Reflection by Teacher:

Did the majority of students get at least 75% correct on the pronoun/antecedent exercise from the GED writing skills book?  For those students who did not, assign an appropriate exercise to be completed in the Academic Software segment of the Technology strand.

Planning for Next Lesson:

When students are writing in their journals, they should be practicing grammar related activities and they might also use the topics from readings as a source to write about. Suggest to students that they reflect on lessons presented during class time.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

HANDOUT

Pronoun – A word that replaces and refers to a noun.

Antecedent – The noun that a pronoun refers to.

Rules for Pronoun Agreement

1. Use a singular pronoun to refer to singular nouns or indefinite pronouns such as man, woman, person, one, anyone, anybody, somebody, everyone, everybody, each, either, neither, no one, nobody.  

Example:  Each boy tried to shoot a basket, but no one was successful on his first attempt. (singular subject, boy – singular pronoun, his)

2. Use a plural pronouns to refer to a plural noun or plural pronoun.  

            Example:  The children played with their toys.  (plural subject, children – plural

            pronoun, their.)

3. Two or more antecedents joined by and are referred to by a plural pronoun.  

Example:  John and Mary are washing their car.  (Compound/plural subject,

John and Mary – plural pronoun, their)

4. Two or more singular antecedents joined by or or nor are referred to by a singular pronoun.  

Example:   Neither Mary nor Sally has cleaned her room. (Singular subjects, Mary and Sally, joined by nor – singular pronoun, her)

5. If one of two antecedents joined by or is singular and one is plural, the pronoun usually agrees with the subject that is nearer to the pronoun.  

Example:  Neither the teacher nor the students were aware of their danger. (Pronoun, their, agrees with plural subject, students, because it is closer to students than to teacher)  

Example:  Neither the students nor the teacher is aware of his danger.

(Pronoun, his, agrees with singular subject, teacher, because it is close to teacher than it is to students.)

HANDOUT 

 “For Working Parents, Mixed News at Home” 

by Kirstin Grimsley and Jacqueline Salmon, Washington Post, September 27, 1999  

The following are excerpts from the article above:  

Two thirds of U.S. Children share (similar) worries about their parents, mainly because of what they perceive as work-related stress and fatigue, according to a new study of family life by researcher Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, a New York think tank that tracks workplace trends.  The study, among the first to take such questions to children rather than their parents, is sparking debate on talk shows and at kitchen tables across the country, as families seek to navigate through the conflicting pressure of life.  

…. In general, children in the study gave their parents high marks in parenting but wished they were under less stress—even as the children indicated they worried about their families’ finances.  

Contrary to parents’ beliefs, most youngsters didn’t say they want more time with their parents.  Instead, they want better communication and more “focused” time, with parents being less strained and tired.  About 56 percent of employed parents thought their offspring wanted more time with them, but only 10 percent of the children wished for more time with their mother, and 15.5 percent said the same of their father.  

…Children in the study didn’t view employed and at-home mothers differently, or mothers who work full or part time –grading them about the same on attributes such as “making me feel important and love,” “spending time talking with me” and “knowing what is really going on In my life.”  

…Household income for families has remained almost flat over the last 20 years despite the mass entrance of mothers into the work force, studies have shown.  “Most parents are not running to get ahead," Galinsky writes.  “Essentially, they are running to stay in place, to preserve their standard of living.”  

….There are other problems in children’s lives, and it’s not the fact that their parents are working.” she said.  “It’s the fact that their parents aren’t communicating with them that they have the most problems with.”  

….Children gave nonemployed fathers and those who work part time lower grades when it comes to making them feel “important and loved.”

…Even though studies have shown that today’s fathers do more with their children, the children still view dads more negatively than moms.  About 92 percent of Galinsky’s subjects gave their mothers high marks for “being there for me when I am sick,” compared with less than 75 percent who said that about their fathers; about 71 percent of moms but only 62 percent of dads were described as “being involved with what is happening to me at school.”

…Galinsky and other researchers say the long work hours increasingly common in the United States appear to be taking a toll on family life.  An analysis released this month by the International Labour Organization, A United Nations agency, found that Americans now surpass every other industrialized nation in time spent on the job, with U.S. workers putting in the equivalent of two weeks more per year than the Japanese.

Over the last two decades, American fathers’ time at work has increased by 3.1 hours per week, according to the Families and Work Institute; for mothers, it’s 5.2 hours.  Employed fathers with children younger than 18 now work an average of 50.9 hours per week; working mothers, 41.4 hours.

One-quarter of the children in Galinsky’s study wished their parents made more money; children who reported their families have a “hard time buying the things we need” were more likely to wish their moms and dad earned more.  Galinsky said these children may see more money as a way to lessen family stress.

(Researchers in the study based their conclusions on a total of 1,023 children in grades 3 through 12 who filled out questionnaire, interviews with 170 parents and their children, and telephone interviews with 605 other parents.)  

Choose one of the topics below and write a paragaph.

1.      Look at the chart on “Children’s View of Working Parents”

            and summarize it.

2.      “Household income for families has remained almost flat over the last 20

      years despite the mass entrance of mothers into the work force…..”  What

      does this statement mean and why do you think this is true?

3.      What can working parents do to lessen their stress and the stress of their

      children?

Title:  Using a Formula to Find Interest  

Subject Matter/Life Skill Area:  Math  

Learning Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9^th grade  

Lesson Length: One Hour  

Instruction Type: Lecture/Demonstration, Group or Individual  

Overview and Rational:

This unit is designed to instruct learners in the how to use a formula to find interest and is presented in the context of relevant life skills activities.

Learning Objective / Skills:

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to set up interest word problems using a formula and solve for the answer.  In addition, learners use a calculator to solve compound interest problems.

Skills: Locating information, computation/percent formula, problem-solving, calculator use, teamwork.

Materials / Equipment Needed:

Handout: Percent Problems

GED math books with interest problems, especially one showing how to compute compound interest with a calculator.

(Steck-Vaughn’s Working With Numbers-Consumer Math recommended.)

Newspapers

Telephone (optional)

Calculators

Preparation for Lesson:

Xeroxed copies of handout, Percent Problems

Introduction / Warm Up / Review: 

Inform the learners that learning how to solve for simple interest using a formula is one of the more practical skills that they will learn in preparation for the GED exam.  Ask the learners if they can identify a situation in which they might need to find interest.   

Presentation of Lesson:

Put the formula for computing simple interest on the board: I = PRT.

Explain that I stands for Interest, P stands for Principal (a sum of money lent, borrowed, or invested on which interest is paid), R stands for Rate or Percent, and T stands for time. 

Point out that in this formula time is always expressed in terms of one year, so that if the time is 9 months it would be expressed as 9/12 or nine months out of 12.  Likewise, if the time is 18 months it would be expressed as 18/12 reduced to 3/2, etc.  In addition, show them how to change percent to a decimal by moving the decimal two places to the left.  Show them how to change a decimal to a fraction and assign a short exercise from a GED manual that provides them with practice changing percents to decimals and decimals to fractions.

Select an appropriate sample problem from a GED math book and solve it on the board for the students. 

Practice / Activity:

Provide several newspaper issues containing bank and car advertisements. Ask the students to find two ads in the newspaper of banks advertising their loan rates.  Ask them to find a car dealer’s advertisement showing the sale price of vehicles.  Ask them to read the scenario on the handout in which they will purchase a car and compute the interest on the car loan.

Define the terms Certificate of Deposit and Money Market accounts for the students.  (CD – A sum of money deposited in an account for a specified length of time for a specified interest rate: usually for 6 mo., 1 year, or 5 years, etc

Money Market – money deposited in a bank or savings and loan for an unspecified length of time at a variable rate tied to the prime rate established by the Federal Reserve Board.)

Ask the students to find information in the newspaper on money market and CD rates at local banks.  If they cannot find this information in the newspaper, have them call a local bank and inquire about their rates.  Let students work in teams of two for this exercise, if necessary.  Have them read the scenario in the handout and compute the interest they would earn on their savings.

Show the learners how to compute compound interest using a calculator. (See Steck-Vaughn’s Working with Numbers – Consumer Math, p. 85), or other text showing calculator use in solving compound interest problems.

Application / Transfer:

Using their calculators, have students complete one or more problems (as time permits) computing compound interest. See problems on p. 85 of Steck-Vaughn’s Working with Numbers – Consumer Math.)

Reflection by Teacher:

The math skills presented in this lesson are necessary skills on the GED exam, but also necessary lifeskills. Have the students transferred the math applications to real life scenarios?

Planning for Next Lesson:

Review next lesson on shopping with percents.
Percent Problems

1.      Look in the newspaper and find dealer’s advertisements for cars and at least two ads

from banks advertising their loan rates.  Imagine that you have $8,000 to spend on a

car.  Find the car you want to buy in the dealers’ ads.  You’re not sure yet if you want

to finance the car for the full sticker price or put $3,000 down and finance it for the

remainder.  Fill in the chart below and then compute the interest on the loans, both for

the full sticker price and for the amount of the loan if you put down $3,000 as a down

payment.  You want to finance the car for 4 years.  Fill in the chart below for each

loan. (Principal = amount of loan)

2.      In the scenario above, suppose you only want to borrow the money for 9 months

because you will be inheriting enough money from your aunt to pay off the loan.

Compute the interest on the same loan amounts for nine months.  

3.      Your $6000 CD has just matured and you have two weeks to re-invest it.  Find

information from at least two banks on money market rates and CD (Certificate of

Deposit) Rates.  You’re not sure if you want to invest the money for six months or

a year so compute the interest earned for both six months and one year from at

least two different banks.  Fill in the chart below for each CD or money market

account.  

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

WEEK TWO DAY FIVE  

Lesson Title: Percent of Increase  

Subject Matter /Life Skill Area: Reading and Math  

Learning Level /Prerequisite Skills: 9^th grade  

Lesson Length: Two Hours  

Instruction Type: Lecture, individual and group  

Overview and Rationale:

This unit explores salaries, paycheck stubs, and W-4’s and defines related vocabulary so that learners will have a better understanding of the relationship of education to income and will know how to “read” a paycheck stub and W-4.  Using data introduced in the readings, learners will then compute percent of increase, a skill taught in this unit. 

Learning Objective / Skills Developed:  

At the completion of this lesson, students will able to write a paragraph about the relationship of education to income, defines vocabulary relevant to paycheck stubs and W-4’s, and solves for percent of increase using a formula.  

Skills: Oral communicaiton, reading comprehension/vocabulary, writing, using a formula.  

Materials / Equipment Needed:  

Handouts: More Education Pays and How Big is Your Paycheck? (from Mid-Atlantic Guide to Information on Careers), “Vocabulary” and “W-4’s”.

GED math books for each student  

How to Prepare:  

Xerox copies of the handouts or obtain copies of Mid-Atlantic Guide to Information on Careers from the Virginia Employment Commission. 

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:  

Ask the learners how many of them would like to make more money.  Ask them if they believe getting more education leads to higher earnings.  Why, or why not?  Engage them in a short discussion.

Presentation of Lesson:

Hand out copies of “More Education Pays.”  Tell the learners they will be reading an article about the relationship of income to education. Ask volunteers to read the article out loud for the class.

Ask a volunteer to summarize the article for the class, stating the logical conclusion one might make about the relationship of education to income. (As educational level rises, income rises.) 

Practice / Activity:

 Ask the learners to write one paragraph that summarizes the article and the relationship of education to income.  

Pass out the article “How Big is Your Paycheck?”  Ask a volunteer to read it out loud for the class.

Hand out the “Vocabulary” list and review the definitions that are relevant to paycheck stubs with the students.  

Pass out the handout “W-4” and review relevant vocabulary from the list.  

Tell the learners they are going to use the data in the two handouts on income and paycheck stubs to compute percents of increase.  Write the following formula on the blackboard: Change in Amount/Original Amount = Percent of increase or decrease/100.  Choose a sample percent of increase word problem from a GED math book and solve it on the board for the students. List the steps for solving proportions on the board: A. set up the proportion B. Cross Multiply C. Divide.  

Application / Transfer:  

Ask the learners to find the following percents of increase using the data from the handouts.  

What is the percent of increase of estimated annual earnings of individuals who are not high school graduates to those who are?  

What is the percent of increase of estimated annual earnings of high school graduates to individuals who have a Bachelor’s Degree?  

What would be the percent of decrease in an individual’s rent if she moved from Washington, D.C. to Charleston, WV?  

What is the percent of increase in the cost to see a movie in Charleston and the cost to see a movie in Washington, D.C.? 

On the sample paycheck stub, what would be the percent of increase in Geneva Kelly’s income if she had no deductions from her net pay?  

Reflection by Teacher:  

Students should have an understanding of percents and how we use them in everyday tasks. Were students able to apply them to real situations?  

Planning for Next Lesson:

This lesson combined reading and math topics. The math topics for next week include working with fractions. Help students to see the relationship between percents, decimals, and fractions when beginning fraction instruction next week. 

Handout  

Vocabulary  

allowance – a reduction in your tax for each person you support, including yourself.

                        (The more allowances you claim on your W-4, the less money will be

                          withheld from your paycheck.)

biannually – twice a year; every two years.  

biweekly – every two weeks.  

credit union – a savings and loan business that serves company employees.

deductions – amounts subtracted from a person’s gross pay for taxes, benefits (retirement

            or medical/dental plans), services, or memberships.

earnings statements – the checkstub attached to your paycheck listing gross pay,

             deductions, and net pay.  

Federal income tax – the money you pay from your salary to the treasury of the United

States.  

F.I.C.A.  (Federal Insurance contributions Act) - the amount deducted from a person’s

paycheck as part of a government insurance program that makes support

payments to retirees or disabled individuals, also known as social security.  

gross Pay – your base rate of pay or total salary before deductions.  

net pay – amount of money you are paid after deductions have been taken out of your

             paycheck.  

pay period – the amount of time covered by one paycheck.  

pay stub – part of the paycheck that an employee keeps for his or her records; also called

 a checkstub or earnings statement.  

quarterly – every three months  

union dues – money paid by members of organized labor unions that help workers get

what they need from employers.  

United Fund – a sum of money you may choose to give to organizations that help people.

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