This unit is an exceprt from the MBA Research and Curriculum Personal Finance Course Guide. Course Guides include recommended performance indicators, sequencing, instructional objectives, resources, and activities for students.  It focuses on the concept of personal finance and includes objectives, activities, and several book and online resources. The full course includes 9 more units focused on setting goals, budgeting, tracking and borrowing money, and financial literacy skills. To access the full course guide, visit mbastatesconnection.mbaresearch.org and select "Course Guides" under "Curriculum and Instruction."Use this as a guide to teaching a unit about earning money. Each task is related to one performance indicator in the unit. First, use the learning objectives to teach students the important components of a topic. Then, use the activity to engage students and reinforce learning. The online and textbook resources in each tasks can be used to extend learning.

We were recently successful in getting Personal Finance as a graduation requirement starting with the class of 2021. We modified a proposal that was previously developed by Oconomowoc High School staff as they also were successful with Personal Finance as a graduation requirement.

We utilized the proposal to submit to gain support from our curriculum director as well as the school board. Advisory members from the financial sector assisted with presentation of the proposal.

Students will be able to
- Apply their knowledge on creating a business
- Craft a business presentation, advertisement, and elevator pitch
- Present their business idea to your classmates

Students will be able to:

Explain what is simple interest and compound interest
Compare the difference in growth of an investment when using simple vs. compound interest
Calculate simple interest and compound interest earnings year over year

Students will be able to
-Learn tips for using their checking account effectively, including the use of mobile alerts
-Read a checking account agreement and identify the fees associated with a checking account
-Understand how overdraft protection works and how to avoid high fees attached to the service
-Read a bank statement to verify its accuracy and interpret how their money is being used

Students will be able to
- Identify steps they can take to prepare for student loan repayment
- Understand the different loan repayment options available to them
- Explain how student loan payments work
- Identify the consequences of not making student loan payments
- Compare different loan repayment options such as deferment, forbearance, consolidation, and more

Students will be able to:
-Explain key strategies to maximize the effectiveness of a resume and cover letter
-Analyze real examples of resumes and cover letters to determine their effectiveness
-Create their own resume and cover letter that meet the criteria for success

In this 105-minute lesson, students will be able to:
-Explain what a resume and cover letter are and how they are used in the hiring process
-Identify how a resume differs from a LinkedIn profile
-Write a resume with little to no work experience
-Create a resume and cover letter for yourself

Personal Finance course FREE teacher resources and trial access to online course solution as well as a correlation to WI state standards.

Students will be able to:
-Explain how saving is linked to overall wealth
-Describe how saving and investing are different
-Understand fundamentals of saving such as reasons for saving, how much to save, and strategies to enable saving
-Acknowledge the role of delayed gratification in saving

Students will be able to:

Explain what is a savings account
Compare the difference between savings and checking accounts
Choose whether a savings or checking account is appropriate for different financial situations

In this 60-minute lesson, students will be able to:
- Discuss what goes into practicing good computer security
- Explain the concept of and common tactics used in phishing scams
- Identify clues that would tip them off that something is a scam

Students will be able to
- Explain why scholarships and grants should be their 1st pick when looking for and accepting financial aid
- Understand the difference between scholarships and grants
- Find scholarships and grants that they are eligible for
- Identify signs of scholarship and grant scams and steps to take to protect themselves

Lesson time: 140 Minutes

Students will be able to:
-Establish criteria for choosing a credit card, based on the factors important to their needs
-Recognize and avoid marketing schemes that might lead to bad decisions
-Identify alternative routes to establishing credit, aside from opening their own credit card account

NOTE: Document is titled 9.4 Select a Credit Card

ANSWER KEY LINKS: Create a Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) account to access answer keys. They will be listed under the Full Year Curriculum tab.

Students will be able to:
-Compare different savings vehicles such as a savings account, CD, and money market account
-Identify important criteria to consider when selecting a savings account
-Make a systematic and informed decision by gathering, evaluating, and comparing information

Students will be able to:
-Compare and contrast banks and credit unions
-Consider different features, fees, and requirements of checking accounts at various banks and choose the options that are best
for them, personally
-Understand the specific “perks” and requirements of a student checking account
-Conduct online research to select a checking account
-Enumerate what paperwork is required to open a checking account

Estimated Lesson Time: 45 minutes

Students will be able to:
-Understand how social media can influence spending habits
-Analyze marketing techniques from social media and advertising that encourage spending

ANSWER KEY LINKS: Create a Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) account to access answer keys. They will be listed under the Full Year Curriculum tab.

Estimated Lesson Time: 75 minutes

Students will be able to:
-Discuss the cognitive bias of loss aversion and how we feel the effect of losses more than gains
-Make decisions that involve risk and the possibility of loss
-Analyze loss aversion from the perspective of consumers and investors
-Choose strategies that will help overcome loss aversion

ANSWER KEY LINKS: Create a Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) account to access answer keys. They will be listed under the Full Year Curriculum tab.

Students will be able to:

Explain how young people can start investing responsibly
Outline the process of investing using a custodial account
Analyze an index fund’s fact sheet

In this 140-minute lesson, students will be able to:
-Read a pay stub and understand how taxes and other deductions are withheld to calculate your net pay
-Complete employee paperwork to initiate tax withholdings, direct deposit, health insurance, and 401(k) contributions