Introduction:    You have decided to compare prices in a major way.  You will shop in four different English-speaking countries for the same merchandise, convert the prices using current exchange rates, and choose the best buy (excluding shipping costs!).

Task:  Using internet resources for shopping in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, you will select 5 items to buy in all four countries.  Once you find the local cost, you will convert that price to US dollars and compare the costs.

Resources:

Yahoo Australia Shopping:  http://au.shopping.yahoo.com/
Yahoo Canada Shopping:  http://ca.shopping.yahoo.com/
Yahoo UK and Ireland Shopping:  http://shopping.uk.yahoo.com/
Yahoo US Shopping:  http://shopping.yahoo.com/

Currency Exchange Rates:  http://www.x-rates.com/tables/USD.html
Another Exchange Rate Converter:  http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic
 

Process:

1. Your group will browse the online shopping resources for the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.
2. Select five items to study.
3. Look up the cost in all four countries for each of the items.
4. Using current exchange rates, convert all prices to US dollars.
5. Make a table and a graph to illustrate results.
6. Write a group report describing your results.  Is the cost of each item the same in all countries?  Is there a pattern where all items are more or less in some countries?  Can you find an explanation?

Conclusion:
 

In this activity, you will use the internet as a data source for a problem solving activity.  You will be connecting real-world shopping and currency data to analysis and representation.  You will use your reasoning skills to reach a conclusion based on the data, and will communicate your conclusions in a written report.