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Does College Make Cents?

What are the different pathways available when planning for life after high school? How can an understanding of functions help you gauge the short- and long-term costs and benefits of these pathways?

Signs pointing in different directions.

Creative Artifact

Students take charge of their futures by exploring two potential career paths that spark their interest. Through a blend of research and math, they’ll dig into the education and training required for each path, then apply their knowledge of linear systems and piecewise functions to conduct a meaningful cost-benefit analysis.

Written Commentary

For each of the two careers selected, students write a short research report that walks the reader through each component of their comparative analysis.

Exhibition

Students invite a group of people in their life with whom they would like to share their research and findings. This might be a family member, coach, friend, teacher, professional mentor, church leader, or even their current boss. As part of the presentation, students will have the opportunity to hear viewer reactions, respond to follow-up questions, and discuss how the people in their lives can best support them.

Implementation Notes

Credit Eligibility

  • Dollar sign

    Financial Literacy

  • nth root symbol

    Math

  • two signposts pointing in opposite directions

    Postsecondary Planning

Prerequisites Needed

This TLE assumes baseline understanding of linear systems.

Modular Suggestions

A unit within an Algebra 1 course – could be used as an application-based unit alongside a more traditional unit on functions or as a full introduction to functions replacement unit.

TLE-Based Semester/Full-Year Course Suggestions

Algebra 1:
X Marks the Spot,
The Hustle Economy,
College Cents
The Cost of Debt

Personal Finance/Financial Literacy:
The Hustle Economy,
College Cents,
The Cost of Debt

Postsecondary Planning:
My POV,
Does College Make Cents

 

Standards Addressed

  • HSA-CED.2: Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales.
  • HSA-CED.3: Represent constraints by equations or inequalities, and by systems of equations and/or inequalities, and interpret solutions as viable or non-viable options in a modeling context.
  • HSA-REI.6: Solve systems of linear equations exactly and approximately (e.g., with graphs), focusing on pairs of linear equations in two variables.
  • HSA-REI.11: Explain why the x-coordinates of the points where the graphs of the equations y = f(x) and y = g(x) intersect are the solutions of the equation f(x) = g(x); find the solutions approximately, e.g., using technology to graph the functions, make tables of values, or find successive approximations.  
  • HSF.IF.1: Understand that a function from one set (called the domain) to another set (called the range) assigns to each element of the domain exactly one element of the range. If f is a function and x is an element of its domain, then f(x) denotes the output of f corresponding to the input x. The graph of f is the graph of the equation y = f(x).
  • HSF-IF.2: Use function notation, evaluate functions for inputs in their domains, and interpret statements that use function notation in terms of a context.
  • HSF-IF.5: Relate the domain of a function to its graph and, where applicable, to the quantitative relationship it describes.  
  • HSF-BF.1: Write a function that describes a relationship between two quantities.
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