Optional Lessons and Games

Banking Tools #2: Reconciling Your Account: Building on the skills they learning in Banking Tools #1, students will learn how to and practice reconciling their account.

– Handout #1 – Check Register
– Handout #2 – Monthly Statement
– Handout #3 – Account Reconciliation Form

Avoiding Credit Blunders: This lesson teaches students about common credit card fees and offers practical tips for using credit responsibility and avoiding credit blunders. This would be good to do just after the “Read the Fine Print” lesson.

Buying a Used Car: Centered around a skit that a small group of teens will perform for the rest of the class, this lesson covers all the basics of car shopping, financing, and the test drive. It does not require computers/Internet, although if computers are available, the students could complete the optional closing activity.

College Prep Lesson: In this lesson, students will learn about the benefits of higher education (in terms of earning potential), but also about the significant costs of college. They will gain an understanding of different college options (e.g. private schools vs. state universities) as well as options for financial aid. This lesson requires computers/Internet.

So You Want to Be Your Own Boss?: Students will hear the story of how one man’s self-started business grew into a successful multi-million dollar company. They will take a True or False assessment as a class, then they will fill out assessment sheets to think about whether or not they’re interested and equipped to be an entrepreneur.

Risk and Insurance: Students will play Insurance Bingo to learn about different types of insurance, answer true or false questions to begin to think about risk, and have a discussion about what risks they face in their lives and how people try to protect themselves from those risks.

– Handout #1 – Insurance Bingo Card
– Handout #2 – Insurance Terms for Teachers

Money Traps Game (HS Version): This game involves kinesthetic movement to help students learn about different financial pitfalls and how to avoid getting “money-trapped”.

Portfolio Power Game: This game allows youth to practice principles of investing by creating an investment portfolio. While students earn (or lose) money on their investments, they are quizzed on their knowledge of investments.

Credit Clue Game: This game is modeled after the classic Parker Brothers “whodunnit” game, Clue.However, instead of solving a murder mystery, you must investigate financial habits and determine who made the blunder when using credit.

Hand of Fate Game: This game helps youth understand the value and differences between insurance types and investments.

The Business Decisions Game: In this game, teams of students create and manage their own businesses, helping them to learn about making wise financial decisions, so that their business will survive.

Financial Jeopardy Game: This game draws heavily from the online game Moneyopolis, developed by Junior Achievement. In our version, teens test their financial literacy knowledge in a format like the TV game show, Jeopardy!

Can You Make Ends Meet? Game: This activity simulates real-life experiences by dividing students into four “families” that have just moved to a new town, and must decide on a living situation, transportation options, and other such financial life decisions. Each family is given a profile and a set of life events they experience for four consecutive months, and the goal is that, at the end of four months, they will “make ends meet!”