MEDIA CITY · MISSION 04

FINANCE SIMULATOR

YEAR 8 · TERM 1 · WEEK 4

Money Under Pressure

What does a financial choice cost over time?

Three fictional phone plans advertise very different monthly prices. One has a large upfront cost, one bundles everything into the monthly payment, and one adds an annual account fee. Your job is to compare the true 12-month cost and decide which plan fits different constraints.

ENTER MISSION →

MISSION DECKMEDIA CITY / WEEK 04SELECT A MODULE

01BRIEFMission

02LEARNIntel

03INVESTIGATEEvidence

04ENGLISHEvidence case

05DECIDEMake the call

06DATANumbers

07PROJECTBuild

08CHECK-INReflect

★GAMEReward

ACTIVE OBJECTIVEThree fictional phone plans advertise very different monthly prices. One has a large upfront cost, one bundles everything into the monthly payment, and one adds an annual account fee. Your job is to compare the true 12-month cost and decide which plan fits different constraints.

WORLDMEDIA CITY

SEQUENCE01 / 08

REWARDGAME BREAK

Jump to a lesson part

READY?

Watch. Check the clues. Have a go.

Everything you need is on this page.

Start mission →

Need help getting started?

YOU NEED

Required: a device with this page open.
Optional: headphones for video or read-aloud.
Optional: pen + paper for rough working if that helps you think.

HOW TO DO IT

Read or listen to the Briefing + Learn.
Do the interactive mission.
Use facts from the reading and maths parts.
Make your choice and save your project step.
Play the weekly game. Finish Check-in.

WORK YOUR WAY

Short bursts are fine. Use Learning Tools for easier reading, read-aloud, less on screen, stronger contrast, no-rush and quieter-screen options.

If you get stuck, look at the example and try again.

MISSION BRIEFING

Three fictional phone plans advertise very different monthly prices. One has a large upfront cost, one bundles everything into the monthly payment, and one adds an annual account fee. Your job is to compare the true 12-month cost and decide which plan fits different constraints.

✓Calculate and compare total cost over time rather than relying on a monthly headline.

✓Use percentage change and ratios in a financial context.

✓Explain how upfront cost, ongoing cost, fees and affordability create different trade-offs.

✓Distinguish a mathematically cheaper option from an option that is actually feasible for a specific scenario.

INTERACTIVE LEARN MODE

No passive video this week.

This mission is deliberately built around its simulator, investigation, decision room or prototype instead of an external video.

LEARN

TOTAL COST → CONSTRAINT → TRADE-OFF

To compare plans fairly, put them on the same time scale. TOTAL COST = upfront cost + recurring costs + fees. A low monthly number can hide a larger total, while the lowest total may still require an upfront amount someone cannot pay. Good financial reasoning states both the calculation and the constraint.

LEARNING BUILD

Learn. Try. Check.

Look at the example. Try it yourself. Need help? Open a hint.

01 · REFRESH · QUICK PREREQUISITE CHECK

Refresh: compare financial plans on the same time scale. Annual total = upfront cost + 12 × monthly cost + annual fees.

Plan C costs $42 per month plus a $96 annual fee. What is its 12-month total?

Choose an answer to reactivate the idea you need for this week.

Show more teaching

02 · TEACH · CORE IDEA

03 · TEACH · WHAT TO NOTICE

Calculate and compare total cost over time rather than relying on a monthly headline.Use percentage change and ratios in a financial context.

04 · TEACH · CONNECT THE SKILLS

Explain how upfront cost, ongoing cost, fees and affordability create different trade-offs.Distinguish a mathematically cheaper option from an option that is actually feasible for a specific scenario.

05 · WORKED EXAMPLE

Worked example: Plan A = $180 + 12×$32 = $564. Plan B = 12×$49 = $588. Plan C = 12×$42 + $96 = $600. Plan A is cheapest overall, but someone who cannot pay more than $50 upfront cannot choose it, so feasibility changes the decision.

06 · WE DO · GUIDED PRACTICE

A fictional user can pay no more than $50 upfront. Which feasible plan has the lower 12-month total?

Choose the strongest answer. You will get an explanation straight away.

07 · YOU TRY · INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

YOU TRY: Compare the plans for two fictional users with different upfront constraints. State the annual totals, the constraint, your choice for each user and why the mathematically cheapest plan may not always be feasible.

Write at least 25 words. This is about the learning, not personal information.

MISCONCEPTION

MISCONCEPTION: “Lowest total cost automatically means best choice.” A plan can be cheapest overall and still be impossible under an upfront cash constraint.

HELP

HELP: Calculate every annual total first. Then apply each user’s constraint before choosing among the remaining feasible options.

STRETCH · OPTIONAL

STRETCH (optional): Find the monthly price Plan B would need to charge to equal Plan A’s $564 annual total.

PLAN COMPARISON LAB

Same product. Very different total cost.

Calculate all three 12-month totals, then test which option fits two different fictional constraints.

PLAN A

$180 upfront

$32/month × 12

CALCULATE TOTAL

PLAN B

$0 upfront

$49/month × 12

CALCULATE TOTAL

PLAN C

$0 upfront

$42/month × 12 + $96 annual fee

CALCULATE TOTAL

SCENARIO 1: Up to $200 is available upfront. Which plan has the lowest 12-month cost?

SCENARIO 2: No more than $50 can be paid upfront. Which feasible plan has the lower 12-month cost?

Calculate the totals first, then solve both scenarios. Cheapest overall and feasible right now are not always the same thing.

OPEN THE MONEY EVIDENCE

SOURCE 1

Full price schedule

Plan A lists a $180 upfront cost and $32 per month for 12 months, allowing the full annual cost to be calculated.

SOURCE 2

Monthly headline

Plan B advertises “just $49 a month” but the headline alone does not compare the full-year total with other plans.

SOURCE 3

Account fee

Plan C lists $42 per month plus a $96 annual account fee. Leaving the fee out would understate the total cost.

SOURCE 4

“Cheapest plan for everyone”

No single plan can be cheapest and most suitable for every person because affordability constraints differ.

INVESTIGATE + ENGLISH · EVIDENCE CASE

Cheap per month is not the same as cheap overall

A fictional comparison shows three 12-month phone plans. Plan A costs $180 upfront and $32 each month. Plan B has no upfront charge and costs $49 each month. Plan C has no upfront charge, costs $42 each month and adds a $96 annual account fee. Plan A has the lowest total cost across the year, but it requires more money at the beginning. Plan B costs more overall, yet it may fit a scenario where the user cannot pay more than $50 upfront. The most suitable option therefore depends on both total cost and the constraints of the person making the decision.

BUILD THE EVIDENCE CASE · CLAIM → EVIDENCE → REASONING

MAKE THE CALL

For a fictional user with $200 available upfront, which plan minimises 12-month cost? Then consider a second user who can spend no more than $50 upfront. Does the best choice change? Explain why.

BUILD YOUR CASE CONCLUSION1. Make the call. 2. Use at least two relevant pieces of evidence. 3. Explain one limitation or uncertainty. 4. Finish with what can responsibly be concluded.Strong structure: My judgement is… The strongest evidence is… However, we still do not know… Therefore…

CASE CONCLUSION: Write 180–250 words comparing the three plans. Calculate or cite the annual totals, explain one affordability constraint, include one counter-argument, and recommend a plan for a clearly stated fictional scenario.

YOUR REASONING

0/180 words minimum for this writing mission.

CLAIMEVIDENCELIMITATIONCONCLUSION

MATHS + DATA LAB

Check the numbers.

HOW TO SUCCEEDRead the situation first. Estimate what a sensible answer should look like, choose an efficient calculation, then use the feedback to check your reasoning.For data questions, explain what the number shows — and what it does not prove.

A monthly cost of $45 increases by 8%. What is the new monthly cost?

Estimate first, then choose the answer.

MISSION 05 · MATHS + DATA LAB

DATA TRAINING

ALGEBRA · YEAR 8 EXTENSION

6 PROBLEMS

QUICK METHODALGEBRA

Keep the equation balanced: undo operations in reverse order.

GUIDED · Q01–Q03Use the quick method, then check the explanation.

Q01

x + 7 = 24. What is x?

Q02

3x = 24. What is x?

Q03

If n = 5, what is 2n + 3?

INDEPENDENT · Q04

Continue the pattern: 4, 9, 14, 19, …

INDEPENDENT · Q05

Which expression means “five more than twice x”?

INDEPENDENT · Q06

2x + 4 = 18. What is x?

OPTIONAL CHALLENGE · OPEN RESPONSE

Create and solve a two-step equation whose solution is 12. Explain why each inverse operation is valid.

0 words · optional

PROJECT HQ · PROJECT FILE 04

PLAN — scope the product and resources.

Start something real. Build an idea, test it, improve it, and share it. Make your move.

Use strong clues and explain your decisions in your Reality Project.

PROJECT HQ · PROJECT FILE 04

PLAN

PROJECT JOURNEYWEEK 4 / 9

Turn the project into a buildable plan with a success criterion.

Need help with this step?

THIS WEEKPLAN

Complete only this project step today. Your saved work carries forward, so you do not need to finish the whole project at once.

A STRONG STEPSpecific · useful · achievable

Use evidence from this week's mission, name a real audience or purpose, and make the idea small enough to test and improve.

BEFORE YOU SAVE, CHECK:✓ I answered every field clearly✓ I used evidence or reasoning from this week✓ My next step is realistic

FORMATTOOLS + RESOURCESSUCCESS CRITERION

Write in each box. Your answers save on this device as you type.

IDEA→RESEARCH→PLAN→BUILD→TEST→IMPROVE→PRESENT

Project sharing will be optional. A future upload system must keep private submission separate from public-showcase/marketing permission.

CHECK-IN

What changed in your thinking?

One thing I learned or questioned

YEAR 8 · REMIX · TERM 1 / WEEK 4

PRECISION POOL

Clear the table with tighter shot economy and deliberate positioning.

UPGRADED DIFFICULTYBEST SCORE SAVED

PLAY PRECISION POOL

A remastered ICONIC GAMES favourite · phone + keyboard controls.