Teaching the Art and Science of Money

Three Web sites for teachers offer business and finance resources for the classroom.

Teaching Economics As If People Mattered from United for a Fair Economy (UFE) presents five learning modules for teaching economics: Defining Economics, The Ten Chairs (distribution of wealth in the United States), Savings Accounts & Stocks, Born on Third Base (acquiring wealth), and Signs of the Times (gauging economic success). Each module includes learning objectives, key concepts and terms, a downloadable lesson, an animated presentation, articles and resources, a mapping to standards, and a place to offer feedback about the lesson. To learn more, visit www.teachingeconomics.org.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Young Entrepreneur Foundation (YEF) developed its Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom program to bring real-life stories of entrepreneurs to schools, enabling students to learn first-hand about the risks and rewards of operating a small business. Teachers create classroom laboratories where high school students learn about being their own boss. All three modules contain teaching notes, overheads, activities, and quizzes. Access to curriculum materials requires free registration. To learn more, visit www.nfib.com/object/IO_27244.html.

JumpStart: Financial Smarts for Students offers some materials that can be downloaded for free: ”12 Principles That Every Young Person Should Know” provides short lesson plans on teaching students about money. The Clearinghouse offers materials that you can order by written request and a few that can be downloaded. Its financial curriculum materials are
available for purchase only, including two “money savvy” curriculums—one for teaching personal finance to kinder-garten through fifth grade and the other for teaching early high school age students. Note: these materials are scripted. For more information, visit www.jumpstart.org.