Consumer Education
Car Game
Game to develop knowledge of the costs involved in servicing, running a car, MOTs and repairs . Includes car cards, hazard and expense cards, information pack, record sheet, game board and spinner.
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Buying and running a car: Car game. Ready to go pack
This document provides activities to use with learners/ participants/ service users; the material has been written to include education focuses on literacy, numeracy, functional skills and English for speakers of other languages within a formal education setting. However if you wish to use the activities within an informal group or as part of an awareness raising campaign you will only need p9 onwards
Learning resources are not designed for tutors/ educators to advise their participants on specific cases; where necessary participants should be directed to the appropriate advice agency.
Unit/Activity name / Unit/ Activity focus / Consumer education objectives / Literacy, language and numeracy objectives / Literacy curriculum refs / ESOL curriculum refs / Numeracy curriculum refs / Functional skills standards /Unit 2
Activity 4
Car game / Identify and calculate a range of costs / Develop knowledge and understanding of the wide range of costs associated with running a car / Use organisational features, tables and charts to extract information
Follow and contribute to discussions
Trace and understand instructions
Calculate with money and record information
Approximate by rounding
Extract and interpret information / Rt/L1.4
SLd/L1.1
Rt/L1.1 / Rt/L1.4a
Sd/L1.1c
Rt/L1.1a / MSS1/L1.1
N1/L1.8
HD1/L1.1 / Reading L1
SP & List L1
Reading L1
Maths L1
Unit 2
Activity 5
Budgeting to run a car / Calculate and compare range of costs / Plan ahead to anticipate possible future costs for running a car and compare with cost of using public transport / Estimate distance
Work out ratio and direct proportion
Carry out calculations using efficient methods / MSS1/L1.5
N1/L1.7
N1/L1.3 / Maths L1
Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4 Car game
RESOURCES AND PREPARATIONBefore the session:
· Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4a Car game instructions: copy two sets for each group
· Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4b Car game car cards: copy, laminate and cut up one set for each group
· Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4c Car game hazard and expense cards: copy, laminate and cut up one set for each group
· Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4d Car game information pack: copy two sets for each group
· Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4e Car game record sheet: one copy for each learner
· Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4f Car game board: copy and laminate one for each group
· Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4g Car game spinner: copy, cut out and laminate one for each group. Put a pen or pencil through the centre to make it spin
· A calculator and a counter for each learner
· Pencils
LITERACY AND LANGUAGE FOCUS
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
· Set context by eliciting ideas on how much learners think it costs to run a car each year.
· Explain to learners that they are going to play a board game which will give them a good idea of all the actual costs involved annually in running a car.
· Divide learners into pairs and give each pair a copy of Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4a Car game instructions.
· Set up one board game and ask for three volunteers to play with you. Ask the rest of the group to stand around the table and take turns to read out each stage of the instructions. Check understanding by asking concept questions e.g.
- What information do we need to record now?
- Where do we record the petrol costs etc?
· Follow the instructions with the volunteers, highlighting important steps to remember.
· When you feel the group has got a good understanding of how to play the game and record information on the Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4e Car game record sheet, divide learners into groups to play the game. Depending on the time available and the level of the group, the game can either be played until everyone has completed one circuit of the board or for a set number of minutes.
· When everyone has finished playing the game, ask learners to discuss and answer the questions at the end of the instructions.
· Take whole group feedback on answers and highlight the important considerations regarding running costs.
Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 5 Budgeting to run a car
Before the session:
· Each group of learners needs to use a completed Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4e Car game record sheet from Activity 4
NUMERACY FOCUS
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
· Divide learners into four groups. Ask each group to select one of the completed Unit 2 Activity 4e Car game record sheets and ask learners to summarise the costs under the following headings:
a) Road tax
b) Annual insurance
c) Breakdown cover
d) Petrol
e) Expenses (maintenance costs excluding annual service charge plus parking fees)
f) Hazards (unforeseen costs)
g) Annual service charge
h) MOT
· Ask learners to identify the key factors which impacted on the total running costs for their particular car e.g. low miles per gallon, high annual service costs.
· Learners then estimate how many miles they drive (or might drive) on average each week if/ when they get a car, using the car they have chosen from the game.
· Learners then follow these steps to get estimated annual petrol costs:
- Multiply estimated miles travelled per week by four to get a rough figure for the month
- Use the mpg rating of your car to work out approximately how many gallons of petrol you would need to buy each month
- Multiply number of gallons by 4.5 to convert this to number of litres you need to buy per month
- Multiply by cost of petrol per litre to get cost of petrol per month
- Multiply by 12 to get annual petrol cost.
Example:
Estimated miles per week: 80
Estimated miles per month = 80 × 4 = 320
Chosen car mpg e.g. 61 mpg
Gallons of petrol needed = 320 ÷ 61 = 5.25 gallons ≈ 5 gallons
Litres of petrol needed: 5 gallons × 4.5 = 22.5 litres
Cost of petrol per month = 22.5 × £1.08 (cost per litre) = £24.30
Annual cost: £24.30 × 12 = £291.60
· Ask for feedback from the different groups and identify who would have the estimated highest and lowest fuel bills and the reasons why e.g. is it to do with the annual mileage or the fuel efficiency of the car or both?
· Ask learners to plot dual bar charts showing:
a) annual cost of petrol and annual mileage
b) annual cost of petrol and fuel consumption.
· Have a group discussion on the results.
Ideas for Level 2 and/ or extension activities1. Comparing cost of petrol with cost of public transport for the same journey
· Divide learners into groups and ask them to choose a place anywhere in the UK they would like to travel to together by car.
· Each group uses a map to estimate mileage.
· Learners then compare their estimated mileage with mileage given using an online route/ journey planner. Learners adjust their mileage if necessary.
· Ask learners to calculate and record the cost of petrol for their journey using the car details given, or using a car owned by anyone in their group, or a car they choose they would like to use.
· Each group then needs to plan the same journey by public transport. They can use a range of reference sources to get the information they need e.g. internet, telephone, brochures etc.
· Each group then presents their main findings to the whole group.
· Follow with a discussion around the important factors to consider e.g. other running costs of car, problems with traffic and parking, reliability of public transport, difficulty of using publictransport (number of changes/ waiting times), number of passengers, green issues etc.
2. Comparison with public transport costs
· Ask learners to choose a car make, model and year that they are interested in. They need to use their Buying and running a car: Unit 2 Activity 4e Car game record sheet for their chosen car and substitute their estimated annual petrol costs into the totals table for the game (which includes all other expenses and running costs from the game) and recalculate the total.
· Learners then divide by 12 to calculate average monthly expenditure.
· Ask learners to keep a running total of public transport costs for a month if possible (or a week if not).
· Compare monthly costs of running a car with monthly cost of using public transport and report back in a subsequent lesson.
See
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/yourmoney/everyday_money/guides/buying_a_car.aspx
for further guidance and resources on car running costs.
1
Buying and running a car:
Unit 2 Activity 4a Car game instructions
Car game instructions
This is a game for up to 4 players or teams.
To play the game you need:· Car game board
· Dice
· 4 different coloured counters
· Hazard and expense cards / Each player needs:
· A car card
· A car game information pack
· A car game record sheet
· A pencil
· A calculator
Aim of the game: This game will help you to get a good idea of the actual costs for running a car for a year and some of the expenses which really make a difference. The aim of the game is to complete one round of the board spending as little as possible. The winner is the person who spent the least.
Before you start:
a) Choose a car (A, B, C or D) and circle the one you have chosen on your Car game record sheet.
b) Decide which type of car user you are going to be – occasional, regular or heavy and tick this on your Car game record sheet.
c) Work out your insurance for the year (see information pack for details) and record the price in the insurance row of the Total annual costs box on your Car game record sheet.
d) Decide whether you want to take out optional breakdown cover (see information pack for details). If you do, record the price in the correct row of the Total annual costs box on your Car game record sheet.
How to play: Place a coloured counter, to represent your car, on the start square. Take it in turns to roll the dice and move around the board. If you throw a 6 you do not get an extra go.
Hazards: If you land on a Hazard square, take a Hazard card and read it aloud. Record any expenses in the Hazards column on your Car game record sheet and replace the card at the bottom of the pile.
Expenses: If you land on an Expense square, take an Expense card and read it aloud. Record any expenses in the Expenses column on your Car game record sheet and replace the card at the bottom of the pile.
Fuel: If you land on a Fuel square, everyone needs to work out and record their fuel costs. Use your car card to do this:
· spin the mileage spinner to find out how many miles you all need to drive
· based on the miles per gallon (mpg) your vehicle does, calculate how many gallons of fuel you need to buy (round up to the nearest whole gallon)
· use the fuel price information to calculate the cost of your fuel (remember to select the right type of fuel for your vehicle)
· record your costs in the fuel column on your Car game record sheet.
When everyone has completed one circuit, total up and compare your running costs. Remember to adjust your fuel costs depending on what type of user you are. Who is the winner?
· Who had the least and most expensive car to run?
· What made the most difference to the running costs?
· How much do these costs work out to be on average per week?
· How does the average weekly cost of running a car compare to using alternatives such as public transport, walking, bicycle, car clubs etc?
· What have you learned from playing this game
Buying and running a car:
Unit 2 Activity 4b Car game car cards
Car A: Nifty little runner
· 3 door hatchback, 1.2 litre engine, 1998, 104,000 miles, good condition
· Running costs
Fuel consumption / 41 mpgFuel type / Unleaded
CO2 emissions / 110 - 162 g/km
Insurance group / 3
Vehicle tax / £125
Car B: Fun, funky and green city car
· 2 door, 700cc engine, 2001, 55,000 miles, vgc.