Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
The True Cost of Owning a Car Lesson PlanThe True Cost of Owning a Car Lesson Plan
Publisher
SaveandInvest.org
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
10th - 12th
Subjects
Math
4 more...
Resource Types
Lesson Plans
4 more...
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr 30 mins
Instructional Strategies
Direct Instruction
3 more...
Technology
Calculator
Year
2014
Lesson Plan

The True Cost of Owning a Car

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This The True Cost of Owning a Car lesson plan also includes:
  • Worksheet
  • Answer Key
  • Join to access all included materials

Almost every teen wants a car, but can they really afford one? The lesson walks pupils through how to identify a budget, find all of the costs associated with car ownership, and determine if they should buy the car or keep looking.

162 Views 131 Downloads

Concepts

finance, consumer finance, taxes, insurance, cost analysis, estimation, budgeting

Additional Tags

math

Instructional Ideas

  • Use bankrate.com to find loan rates for your area
  • Have pupils search for a car that would fit in their budget; if they don't have a job, assign a reasonable number for if they did have a job so they can complete the assignment

Classroom Considerations

  • Lesson requires prior knowledge of how to solve equations with exponents

Pros

  • Provides guided practice problems, vocabulary, and answer keys
  • Includes all associated costs: tag/title/tax, insurance, maintenance, gas, and repairs

Cons

  • Formula on page two for negative exponents is incorrect; it should read a^-N = 1 / (a^N)

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

The Car Deal Package

Federal Reserve Bank
Buying a car is no easy task, and can have major long-term consequences if done without proper financial knowledge. Ensure your learners are prepared with the information and criteria for comparing different car deals and signing...
10th - 12th Math
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Risk Management and Insurance: Insurance Costs and Considerations

PricewaterhouseCoopers
Compare the different types of insurance with high schoolers, and have them learn the benefits and costs of medical, auto, and home policies. The resource addresses what makes some insurances more costly and what teenagers can do to...
9th - 12th Math
Unit Plan

Let's Buy a Car

Radford University
Ready to buy a car? Learners research different makes and models of cars to decide on the best one to buy. They collect data on cost, fuel efficiency, safety ratings, and insurance costs, then create and analyze data displays to make...
9th - 12th Math
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Budget Mania

Curated OER
Students examine several examples of budgets to develop a facility with the components of its formation. Income, expenses, and expenditures are considered and itemized for this lesson.
7th - 12th Math
Lesson Plan

How Much Does That Car Cost?

Curated OER
Students calculate how much it costs to buy a used car and finance it through a bank. They select a car from the newspaper, conduct Internet research on current auto loan interest information for four different states, and create a...
8th - 12th Math
Lesson Plan

Creating a Budget

Federal Reserve Bank
Learning to create and maintain a budget is an important life skill. Guide individuals in the discovery of their spending habits and how to track them. They then use what they learned to create a budget and make decisions on where they...
9th - 12th Math
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Cars and Loans

Practical Money Skills
Most teenagers want to buy a car, but do they know how much it really costs? Calculate the cost of purchasing a car, securing auto insurance, and maintaining the new investment with a thorough and engaging personal finance...
6th - 12th Math
Lesson Plan

Cars and Loans

Visa
What's the best way to pay for a car? Should I buy used or new? Can I realistically afford a car? Pupils discover the ins and outs of buying a car, from how to shop for car insurance to the advantages and...
7th - 10th Math
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Opportunity Cost

Council for Economic Education
The price of those new shoes involves more than just money! Individuals explore the concept of opportunity cost using a video clip and gratification discussions. They prepare a budget based off of their set of values in regards to...
9th - 12th Math
CCSS: Designed
Instructional Video

How Do You Figure Out the Price of an Item With Sales Tax?

Curated OER
Sales tax always increases the price of your purchases. How can you figure out how much you'll be paying in full? Teach your class how to figure our their total cost, including sales tax, with this video. Using an example of a pair of...
3 mins 6th - 12th Math
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use