"Exploring Standards - Based Lesson Plans"

Lesson: Dream Big - Money and Goals https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/foreducators/lesson plans/lev9-12/TG_Lesson2.pdf

This lesson is a Business Education/Personal Finance class targeted to grades 11 or 12. The learning objectives are: 1.) why financials goals are important; 2.) how to create their own financial goals; and 3.) understand how solid financial decision- making will assist them achieve their goals. As an outcome, students will be expected to understand the difference between needs and wants, identify their financial goals, and can map out a strategy for reaching (i.e. savings, reasonable spending, cutting back spending etc., etc.) their goals.

Essential Question:  "What are my financial goals and how can I achieve them?"

Standards. The following standards are addressed in this lesson

Jump$start:

· Financial Responsibility Standards 1 and 4 – through defining needs and wants and financial goal setting

· Savings and Investing Standard 1- through financial goal setting

National Economics:

· Standard 1: Scarcity – through defining needs and wants

· Standard 2: Decision Making – through financial goal setting

Common Core ELA Anchor:

· Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration – through class discussion/presentation

· Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas – through class discussion/presentation

· Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use – through lesson material, class discussion/presentation

Common Core Math:

· Number and Quantity: Quantities – through quantifying and prioritizing goals

· Modeling – through quantifying and prioritizing goals

Identifying Financial Goals: I anticipate the concept of identifying, mapping (short - medium
- long) and prioritizing goals to be the most challenging part of the lesson.  At this age the concept of setting goals over the financial life cycle will be hard for some to grasp. The lesson plan indicates that there is an activity sheet titled Show Me the Money: Reaching Your Goals that will be used as a class activity. I anticipate is will be a helpful exercise and will serve to affectively pull the lesson together.


Homework: Personal Finance is such an important topic for students and families that I would add a homework assignment to the lesson

plan and ask each student to take the activity sheet completed in class home to share and modify (if needed) with their parents. I would then use a 2nd class period and have each student present the final version of their activity sheet. Thinking ahead the final class period on this topic would be dedicated to developing a plan of action.