Project-Based Consumer Math Curriculum for High School

Help your teen get real-life experience in money management with this project-based consumer math curriculum from Mr. D Math.

“What am I ever going to use this for?”

Every homeschool parent has heard this question—probably more than once—when teaching high school math.

And just for the record . . . yes, our teens actually DO need to take algebra and geometry. We use basic algebra and geometry skills far more than we realize in everyday life.

But all the advanced math courses in the world can’t take the place of knowing how to balance a checkbook, create a workable budget, or calculate the interest on a loan.

Learning real-life financial management skills is vitally important. A good consumer math course can help students learn these valuable skills while earning high school credit at the same time.

Mr. D Math Consumer Math Curriculum

Mr. D Math offers an excellent online consumer math curriculum that teaches teens the real-life math skills they will use for the rest of their lives.

If you’ve ever used Mr. D Math online math classes for high school, you know that they are both practical and comprehensive. Mr. DiNoia has a unique way of teaching kids to apply math concepts to everyday life. And that’s really what math is all about, right?

Project-Based Learning

Mr. D Math Consumer Math is a project-based curriculum, meaning that students complete math-related projects instead of just filling out worksheets. I believe this is a vital part of learning consumer math.

For example, in the “Financing or Buying a Car” lesson, students watch a video and then work through the actual steps of buying a car:

• Check safety rating and gas mileage of their chosen vehicle
• Investigate the cost of normal vehicle maintenance tasks, such as oil changes, tire alignment, etc.
• Calculate the final cost of financing their chosen vehicle
• Get a car insurance quote
• Budget for car expenses, such as insurance, gas, and maintenance

As you can see, this project is far more in depth than just reading a list of guidelines or filling out a worksheet. Teens apply their math knowledge in real life and actually decide whether or not they can afford to purchase a car.

The math projects in this course count for 70% of the final grade. Applying consumer math concepts is clearly a vital part of the course!

You may also like: Preparing for Pre-Algebra with Mr. D Math

Self-Paced Course

Mr. D Math Consumer Math is a self-paced course with no designated class time when students must log on. It is so convenient to be able to complete lessons any time without being tied down to a course schedule.

In addition, it’s easy for students to work at their own pace. If they don’t understand something or need time to review, they can slow down or repeat lessons as needed.

Teaching is All Done for You

One of the BEST things about this consumer math course is that Mr. D does all the teaching. As a parent, your only involvement is in facilitating learning projects as needed. (You know, things like taking the teenager to the bank to check out the options for checking accounts . . . easy peasy.)

So nope, you don’t have to teach. And you don’t have to grade papers, either! In Mr. D Math, students enter their own grades after each lesson, and quizzes are taken online and graded by the system. 

Why Students Need This Project-Based Consumer Math

All high school students in grades 10-12 can benefit from Mr. D Math Consumer Math. They will complete projects and gain valuable real-life experience in a variety of areas, including:

• Goal setting and time management
• Investigating checking accounts and writing checks
• Using investment strategies
• Using percentages to find discounts, calculate sales tax, and leave a tip
• Paying taxes
• Buying and maintaining a car

Mr. D Math can help your teen build a solid foundation in financial math skills. Click below to learn more!