Choosing a Place to Live

This is an innovative real life problem solving lesson on choosing a place to live. I came up with it when I was student teaching and was myself in search of a job and place to live. So, I had my students use my scenario to find me a place to live. I gave them lists of my needs and wants and had them try to persuade me to choose the location they chose for me. I made it into a competition. The group that found a location that fulfilled the most needs & wants off my list and did the best job persuading me won a pan of brownies.

Time Frame: 2 Class Blocks

Class Size: 20 (groups of three work best)

Objective

  • 11.6 Evaluate client’s needs, goals, and resources in creating design plans for housingĀ and residential and commercial interiors

SetMap of Connecticut

  • Present the case scenario
  • Put students in groups

Materials

  • Computer lab
  • Projector
  • Packet for each group
  • Brownies for the winners

Instruction

  • Explain the competition & instructions

Activities

  • Students will find a place for the client to live from the internet or real estate magazines based on the list of needs & wants provided. There are a list of websites to help students find apartments at the bottom of this page.
  • Have your students also check out a website that offers statistical data on the town that they are choosing. I suggest Sperling’s Best Places to Live. You just type in the zip code and information on the population, school district, unemployment rate, and cost of living come up.
  • Students will then create a presentation that is persuasive and professional using poster board, PowerPoint, skits, etc.

Extension

  • Career Connection: Ask a local real estate agent to come in and talk about how he helps his clients choose a place to live and all the variables involved.
  • Have students take a quiz to figure out where they would be happiest living on FindYourSpot.com the only thing bad about this site is it asks you for your name and address, etc. but they will only send you junk mail if you check the boxes.

Closures

  • What did you learn from finding a place to live?
  • What kinds of things do you have to consider when choosing a place to live?

Evaluation

  • Day 2: have students present their living arrangements. The group that was able to meet the most needs/wants from the list win. If there is a tie it is the teacher’s preference.

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