Florida B.E.S.T. MA.912.FL.4.1

MathGrades 9–12Describe the advantages and disadvantages of financial and investment plans, including insurances.

The Standard

Calculate and compare various options, deductibles and fees for various types of insurance policies using spreadsheets and other technology.

Florida B.E.S.T. Standards for Mathematics

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use a spreadsheet to calculate premiums, deductibles, fees, and total yearly costs for insurance plans. They compare plans under different claim scenarios and explain which option fits each situation.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students build correct formulas, label units and time periods, and update results when costs or claims change. They choose a plan using calculated totals and explain the tradeoff between lower premiums and higher deductibles.
Common Misconceptions: Students often assume the lowest premium gives the lowest total cost. They may treat premiums, deductibles, copays, and fees as the same charge, or apply a deductible when no claim occurs. They may also compare monthly and annual amounts without converting them.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Plan A costs $150 monthly, with a $1,000 deductible and $50 yearly fee. Plan B costs $220 monthly, with a $500 deductible and no fee; assume no coinsurance, then use a spreadsheet to compare annual costs after one $2,000 covered claim.

Lesson moves

Give pairs policy cards for auto, health, and renters insurance, then have them build a spreadsheet that calculates annual cost for each.
Ask students to write: When would a high-deductible, low-premium plan cost less, and what risk does the buyer accept?
Run an Insurance Cost Challenge where teams draw claim cards, update spreadsheet totals, and rank plans after each round.
Use anonymized auto insurance quotes to compare premiums, deductibles, fees, and total yearly cost for two driver profiles.

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