This Math Monday, you’ll get a sneak peak of the new Desmos activity Growth of Savings vs Investments, which is part of our upcoming Intro to Investing & Exponential Equations. Stay tuned for that release later this week!
This activity introduces students to exponential growth before they’ve learned anything about exponential functions by comparing the growth of $5000 in a savings account with 1% interest and the growth of $1000 in an investment account that earns a 7% annual return on average.
The Set Up
First, students answer the core question: would you rather have $1000 to invest right now or $5000 to save?
Then, students start to calculate how their money would grow in each account. They won’t need to know how to work with exponential functions: all they need to do is calculate a 1% or 7% increase from the previous amount. They even input an expression like 5000*1.01.
Students can check their own answers, but you’ll get an alert as their teacher if they attempt the same problem more than 3 times.
To avoid tedious calculations, students can then use a button to automatically fill in the rest of the table.
Make a Prediction Using the Graph
Next, students see the same data presented on a graph. They write their observations, sketch how each account will grow, and predict which account will be worth more after 30 years. They can even read their classmates’ predictions!
Here’s where Desmos gets really cool - students can see the graph of the real account growth overlaid with their sketched prediction.
Finally, students summarize what they’ve learned about exponential growth and investments and consider when it is better to save or invest.
Where to Find NGPF’s Desmos Activities
You may be wondering where exactly you can find these great Desmos activities. If you’re using our Financial Algebra curriculum, you’ll find Desmos activities built directly into the Lesson Guides and Application Answer Keys.
Roughly three-in-ten Americans ages 18 to 29 (31%) say they have ever invested in, traded or used a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Ether, compared with smaller shares of adults in older age groups. Men are about twice as likely as women to say they ever used a cryptocurrency (22% vs. 10%).
NGPF's FinCap Friday resource: Bitcoin Bonanza is a short quiz followed by an explainer video and a few discussion questions to keep the conversation going.
We have a full slate of LIVE professional development opportunities this week for teachers!
Here's what teachers are saying about our Virtual PDs:
"Honestly, these sessions have all been amazing! I have used so much due to the PDs!"!
"Each time I join the sessions, I come away with new knowledge, insights, and ideas on how to use this information with my students."
"I was so nervous at the start of this school year, but with the training and resources provided by NGPF I was able to be more confident in my teaching abilities.”
Virtual Professional Development LIVE!: a one-hour* hands-on workshop with multiple opportunities for teacher collaboration.Watch the video explainer here.
Make a Prediction Using the Graph
