Planning events and activities for children is a current trend that seems to be popular. Learners can take on the role themselves when planning family activities or classroom celebrations. Two sites in particular which have numerous ideas for food, crafts, games and invitations are http://www.verybestkids.com and http://www.familyfun.go.com. Both websites are commercial in nature but this isn’t too obtrusive. The FamilyFun website is more suited to advanced learners while the VeryBestKids site is simpler in content and layout. The FamilyFun website also contains advice on raising children. These ideas could be springboards for class presentations, process writing or debates.

When money is tight, bank fees and credit card interest charges can have a significant impact on personal finances. Industry Canada has developed online tools that help consumers ensure that they are taking advantage of the cheapest financial services available. If you visit Canada’s Business and Consumer Site and click on Consumer Information you’ll find two financial tools that might be of interest to your learners: a Financial Service Charges Calculator and a Credit Card Costs Calculator. The Financial Service Charges Calculator allows you to compare monthly chequing and savings account service charges at various Canadian financial institutions. You are asked a series of questions about your typical monthly transactions. Then you are asked to choose a financial institution. The Calculator provides a list of accounts and the corresponding fees for that institution. This allows you to ensure that you have chosen the best (cheapest) type of account for your circumstances. If you want to compare fees between institutions, you must repeat the process for each institution and then compare the results. The Credit Card Costs Calculator allows you to compare credit card rates from various institutions based on your average monthly credit card balance.

The Employment Standards Act (ESA) Guide is a 98-page handbook outlining key sections of the ESA. The purpose of this Guide is to help both employers and employees in Ontario better understand their rights and responsibilities. The regulations don’t apply to all occupations, but there are several easy-to-follow charts showing which occupations are exempt from certain portions of the law or have special rules. A Table of Contents makes it easy to find a particular topic. The Guide covers such topics as Hours of Work, Eating Periods and Breaks, Minimum Wage, Termination of Employment, and Pregnancy and Parental Leave. Some topics include hypothetical situations to further illustrate the point being explained. The handbook can be viewed online with Acrobat Reader. Sections of particular interest could be printed out for further study or future reference. While this Guide would be difficult for beginning readers, the language is clear and straightforward, and the layout is easy to follow. This website would be most useful as a source of information for higher level learners who are preparing for the workplace.

Online shopping is here to stay. The site www.sears.ca provides a typical online shopping experience. Under the guidance of their instructor, learners can experience the process of online ordering without actually purchasing anything.

The instructor can have learners hypothetically furnish a living room within the constraints of a $1500.00 budget. Learners of varying reading abilities can work in pairs and search the site for their choice of merchandise and then report their findings to the larger group. Comparing prices and quality should be part of the classroom discussion. Issues involved in navigating shopping sites, providing personal information, doing comparative shopping, making payments, calculating applicable taxes, and determining return policies can be explored. As well, the concept of “Buyer Beware” as an important consumer consideration can be presented as a life skill.