What are Excel Cost Tools?

The Interactive Cost Tools developed for the EOP project help students to conduct an economic cost analysis (medical and non-medical, direct and indirect) of the injury event depicted, as well as a cost-effectiveness analysis of actions that could prevent the injury. The Cost Tool continues the story from an economic analysis perspective. It uses graphic displays of data and links to web sites such as hearing loss and farming equipment noise and decibel level simulators. The Cost Tools Contain a Cost Analysis of the injury, a Decision Analysis to show the risks and interventions that prevent injury and an Economic Analysis of the injury event such as present value and discounted value of costs etc.

Each Cost Tool Contains several Instructional Materials:

• A Cost Tool Lesson Plan: with connections to required Content Standards for Economics in Social Studies, Business, Mathematics (Kentucky Core Content is referenced, but each state has similar standards in economics content), a Glossary of economic terms, and step-by-step instructions for putting the cost data into an interactive Excel Spreadsheet.
• A Teacher's Answer Guide for the Lesson Plan Activities.
• An Interactive Excel Spreadsheet that students use to input the fact data from the lesson plan
• An Excel Spreadsheet Teacher's Answer Guide, the completed, correct spreadsheet information.

Download these materials from the table below:

What is Available? Cost Tools Spreadsheets Are Paired with Simulations:

Brad's Last Ride Cost Tool: after Brad's injury in his pasture, the Cost Tool examines the individual and social costs of his traumatic brain injury.
Heather on Horseback: Heather's fall from her horse in her family's paddock results in a closed head injury that severely affects her life.
No Way to Meet a Neighbor:in the aftermath of the collision with the tractor and haywagon, the costs to individuals and communities are examined, as are what could have prevented tragedy.
Kayles Difficult Decisions: after the tractor overturns during harvest, the Kayles lose work time, suffer crop productivity losses and have to make many difficult decisions regarding their plans to expand and pass on their farm to their son.