Campus without Walls

Free Massachusetts Teacher Resources & Culturally Relevant Curriculum

Math for Financial Empowerment

« Back to Courses
Grade 9Grade 10Grade 11Grade 12

Price

Free

Classtimes

Class-time will be coordinated

Subjects

FinanceMath

Course Type

Core

Terms

Spring Session 1 (3/10/25 to 4/17/25)

Description

This course blends real-world financial topics and mathematical prowess, equipping you to make sound financial decisions with confidence. From understanding the wealth gap in the U.S. to unraveling the intricacies of loans, we’ll explore a wide range of financial subjects. Mathematical models will be your toolkit as we dive into earning, investing, spending, and borrowing. You’ll also gain essential skills, from managing paychecks and checking accounts to harnessing the power of compound interest. Discover the world of budgeting, credit building, and taxation while uncovering valuable community resources for financial transactions. By the end of the course, students will be well-equipped with the knowledge to achieve financial goals, establish good credit, explore rewarding career paths, access reliable financial information, and even test the waters of the stock market. Join us in “Math for Financial Empowerment” and make math your key to financial prosperity!

State Standards

AI.A-SSE.B.3.c – Use the properties of exponents to transform expressions for exponential functions.
For example, the expression 1.15t can be rewritten as (1.151/12)12t ≈ 1.01212t to reveal the approximate equivalent monthly interest rate if the annual rate is 15%.


AI.A-CED.A.4 – Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest using the same reasoning as in solving equations (Properties of equality).
For example, rearrange Ohm’s law R=V2/P to solve for voltage, V. Manipulate variables in formulas used in financial contexts such as for simple interest, I=Prt.


AI.F-IF.C.8.b – Use the properties of exponents to interpret expressions for exponential functions. Apply to financial situations such as identifying appreciation and depreciation rate for the value of a house or car some time after its initial purchase: Vn=P(1+r)n.
For example, identify percent rate of change in functions such as y = (1.02)t, y = (0.97)t, y = (1.01)12t, and y = (1.2)t /10, and classify them as representing exponential growth or decay.

Supports Available to Students

Tier 1 (Supports provided to ALL students)

Skills-learned

  • Budgeting, Credit Building, and Loan Management
  • Identify Community Resources for Banking, Homebuying, and Other Financial Transactions
  • Create and Analyze Mathematical Models to Make Decisions Related to Earning, Investing, Spending, and Borrowing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSBin6ELBXw&list=PLP4hC3-DI5re96jFY4g2Krq8wlIV7qJDc&index=11
Sign Up

About Quinn Soto

Quinn is an experienced math teacher at Boston Day and Evening Academy. He began his career in education over 15 years ago, inspired by an experience he had in high school calculus. While all of the students were computationally fluent, many lacked the ability to engage in any authentic discourse about what they were doing, to create meaningful mathematical models, or to relate what they memorized to other mathematical concepts. Many of them learned that calculus is just a bunch of procedures and formulas. Reflecting on this experience as a senior in high school led Quinn to believe he wanted to teach calculus. His goal was to provide students with an education that allowed them to authentically explore and engage with mathematics. In college and shortly after, Quinn worked with two mathematics education programs that shaped his approach to teaching: the Bridge to Calculus (BtC) program, which indirectly led him to a dedication to middle-school mathematics, and the Young People’s Project (YPP), which inspired his passion for and expertise in near-peer mentoring and experiential learning. Over the past ten years, Quinn Soto has taught middle school and high school math in Boston Public Schools. Through this time, Quinn has challenged his students to a high standard of learning through a philosophy of independent, student-led thinking.