Escape Rooms: Gross Income Unit Flex (Math Hidden in Fun)

In this 6-week flex course, I've hidden math concepts inside fun escape room activities! Students will learn how to calculate straight-time pay, overtime pay, piecework, salary, commission, and graduated commission. This course will be filled with hands-on learning!  My course is a great way to allow students to learn how to multiply and divide currency and calculate their paycheck in a fun way! 

Students will be able to interact with each other on the Outschool platform. Students will work together to get through the escape room while learning about financial math. 

This is a FLEX course, which means that there are no live meetings, but I will still be interacting frequently with students electronically and ask that they interact with each other as they are comfortable. We will interact using the classroom page.

A lesson link will be provided every week. There will be multiple interactive activities throughout the lesson so students can synthesize what they are learning and keep track of it. Students will participate in unlocking six locks. With each lock they will compete against each other and answer math questions. I will ask students to share their work with me and/or the class and give them feedback on this work. I will pose a weekly discussion question for students to answer in the classroom and I will ask that classmates respond to each other's submissions. 

This course will include puzzles and mazes to teach the concept of calculating gross income. The formulas we will cover in these activities are:

Week 1: Straight-Time Pay
Hourly Rate x Hours Worked = Straight-Time Pay
Straight-Time Pay / Hourly Rate = Hours Worked

Week 2: Overtime Pay
Hourly Rate x Hours Worked = Straight-Time Pay
Overtime Rate x Overtime Hours Worked = Overtime Pay
Straight-Time Pay + Overtime Pay = Total Pay

Week 3: Piecework
Rate per Item x Number of Items Produced = Total Pay
Number of Items Produced = Total Pay / Rate per Item

Week 4: Salary
Salary per Pay Period = Annual Salary / Number of Pay Periods per Year
Hourly Wages + Overtime Pay = Weekly Pay

Week 5: Commission
Total Sales x Commission Rate = Straight Commission
Minimum Salary + Commission = Total Pay

Week 6: Graduated Commission
Sales x Commission Rate = Graduated Commission
Commission on first $x + Commission on sales over $x = Total Graduated Commission

I'm a firm believer in creating engaging learning experiences.  I'm excited to begin a journey of discovering a fun way to learn math with your learner!

Students will collaborate with other learners through the Outschool platform to compete to get out of the escape room!

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