(Old) Payday

Why do different jobs pay so differently?

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(Old) Payday

Why do different jobs pay so differently?

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A newer, better version of this lesson is available! Explore all updated lessons here, or read more about the updates in Our Community.

2023-2024 Versions

In the fall of 2024, Citizen Math released updated versions of every lesson in our library, plus a few new ones! We know you may have already prepped an earlier version or planned a repeat of last year, so we're continuing to make these earlier versions available through Thursday December 5, 2024.

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Why do different jobs pay so differently? LeBron James earns more in a day than a top-paid teacher earns in a year. On one hand, this seems unfair. On the other hand...it still seems unfair. But there’s a reason some jobs pay so much better than others.

In this lesson, students use unit rates to compare how much different professions make per year/day/hour and discuss ways to possibly equate compensation with social contribution.

REAL WORLD TAKEAWAYS

  • Different professions earn vastly different amounts. The disparities can be so large as to seem unfair.
  • There’s a difference between how much a person earns and how much value they create. Some professions that don’t command high salaries still yield tremendous value.
  • The salary someone earns often has to do with the relationship between the payer and payee. When the person (or organization) who pays the salary also reaps the value that the worker creates, they can justify paying a high salary. When the person who pays the salary is different than the person/organization who reaps the value, they may not be incentivized to pay what the job is “worth.”

MATH OBJECTIVES

  • Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real world problems
  • Calculate daily and hourly unit rates

Appropriate most times as students are developing conceptual understanding.
Grade 6
Ratios & Unit Rates
Grade 6
Ratios & Unit Rates
Content Standards
Mathematical Practices

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