Student Insider's Guide

• Teaching suggestions
• Chapters and pages related
• Teacher guide related questions
• Related organizations (national, state, local)
• Montgomery College related major/programs of study

• Reading group discussion questions
• MC Library Resources
• Other related books
• Related web sites
• Film and video clips
• Out of class experiences
• Other reports

Teaching Suggestions:

Nickel and Dimes is full of numbers, numerical relationships, formulas, government numerical standards for program participation or qualification (e.g., poverty line, cost of living, minimum wage, living wage). The book offers students , faculty and staff multiple opportunities to use numerical reasoning, estimation, percentages, algebra and geometry in a real world context. This gives us a better chance of learning the importance of - what Dr. Bob Brown in our Math Department- calls numeracy.

For starters:  U tube clip of Sen. Edward Kennedy on senate floor arguing for the raise in minimum wage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SicFn8rqPPE

Minimum wage bill passes, overview of what effect it will have
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6FslYkmjpCU
 

• housing costs, p. 25, 26
• percentage of employed living in cars, p. 26 (foot note)
• expenses, p. 38, 39
• paying by the hour or by the room,  p. 44
• people holding two jobs, p. 45
• apartment living, p. 54, 55
• living wage, p. 127 (see foot note about ST. Paul, MI)
• census, p. 140
• employees sue Wal-Mart re overtime hours, p. 183 (foot note)

• poverty level calculation,  p. 4  # 17
• American-European restaurant tipping, p. 4  # 2
• matching income with expenses, p. 6, # 15

• market competition and push for profits, p. 228  # 3
• affordable housing, p.228  # 4
• surviving on $7.00 per hour, p.229 #7
• lack of benefits, retirement, p.230  14

• living wage resource center http://www.livingwagecampaign.org/index.php?id=1958
• economic policy institute http://www.epinet.org/
• employment policy institute living wage and minimum wage http://www.epionline.org/index_lw.cfm
• employer health care coverage declining for college grads http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20070718
• economic policy institute minimum wage guide http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20070718
• salary comparisons New York Times/Monster.com   http://www.nytimes.com/marketing/jobmarket/career-resources/
• cost of long term care http://longtermcare.genworth.com/overview/cost_of_care.jsp
• economic research institute http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20070718