NEW! Virtual Version of the Bean Game (and Extension Activity too)
The Bean Game stands out as a definite teacher and student favorite. It has a simple set-up, it's student-centered and applies core budgeting principles such as wants vs. needs and adjusting for financial hardships. Knowing that many of you are now teaching remotely, we developed a virtual map where students make their choices on the map with capital letter Os ("O") instead of beans. This game takes on even more relevance in light of the financial adjustments that many families are making...
Best of NGPF: Top 10 Non-Tech Activities for the Personal Finance Classroom
We have heard from many teachers over the past week about the need for no-tech personal finance activities given the reality that not all students will have access to technology in their homes. Jessica wracked her brain this afternoon to develop this top 10 list of NGPF resources that don't require technology. This list ranges the gamut in topics covered as well as in types of activities.
CARTOONS: Why is it So Hard to Save Money?: Choose a cartoon and analyze how it portrays the...
Interactive Monday: Streaming Services
Hat tip to Kareem for uncovering this CNN interactive to assist those overwhelmed by choice when it comes to streaming services.
The interactive starts with a helpful flow chart showing where fave series like Friends, Parks and Rec and Seinfeld are moving to.
It then lists 8 of the leading streaming services (e.g., HBO Max, Netflix, Apple TV+) with details on what to expect from the service as well as popular movies/shows that will appear.
Here's the details on Disney+:
A few...
Best of 2019...Most Popular NGPF Resources
By Tim Ranzetta
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Jan 02, 2020
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Activities, Question of the Day, FinCap Friday, Podcasts, Interactive
We've been posting "Best of 2019 Lists" over the holiday period. In case you missed them, here are links to the posts that list the most popular NGPF resources in each of these categories. Here's to hoping you find some gems here that you can use when classes start up again. Envelopes please...
Question of the Day
Arcade Games and Interactive Library
Product Releases [summary of all of the new NGPF resources developed in 2019]
Unit Pages
FinCap Fridays
Podcasts
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Thank you to...
ICYMI: Best of 2019...NGPF Product Releases
Our December newsletter highlighted the NGPF new product launches from 2019 (there were 12 of them!). Thank you to all the educators who tell us what they need as that drives what we build!
Here's a ranking of the 2019 product releases (with links to product release email in case you missed it the first time):
Infographics To Start The School Year
Top NGPF Resources: One Page Guides
New NGPF Arcade Game: Shady Sam
Revamped Semester Course
Just-In-Time: Updated Taxes Unit...
Activity idea: How will this impact my credit score?
This activity was adapted from a recent WSJ article (sub. required) about credit scores. The activity takes students through scenarios and students predict how each one will impact their credit score. What becomes evident quickly is that for consumers with limited credit histories, early missteps can have a dramatic negative impact on credit scores.
Enjoy! ...
Activity Idea: Psychology of Investing
Here's an activity I did with my class a few years back that helped simulate the psychological aspects of investing.
It's a pretty simple game with multiple ways that you could extend and increase its complexity.
Game Instructions
You are starting the game with a fictional balance of $100
This game will have 10 rounds
The player with the highest balance after 10 rounds will be the WINNER!
Game worksheet
How each round proceeds:
Each student independently decides if they...
NGPF Podcast: Thom Gibson and Mike Franz Discuss Classroom Economies
Thom and Mike share a common passion: creating classroom economies to bring economics and personal finance to life for their students. Thom and Mike share their different approaches to bringing this engaging tool into middle and high school classrooms. Enjoy!
Details
0:00~2:20 Introduction
2:20~7:31 Thom’s YouTube video class and tips to building engagement
7:31~13:07 Mike’s method of bringing economics to life
13:07~22:39 Tom’s middle school classroom economy
22:39~26:40 How...
Read the Fine Print: Overdraft Protection
What do financial institutions like to hide in the fine print? If they keep "hiding the ball" there we better teach our students to "read the fine print!"
Here are a few leading banks and the "footnotes" (small print and bottom of page) that you can find on their Overdraft Protection pages:
Bank #1 [click to go to source]:
Bank #2 [click to go to source]
Questions:
Click on one of the bank links above and analyze the overdraft services provided by the bank. Identify pros/cons of each of...
Why Can't My Students Edit the Docs Inside a Student Activity Packet?
THE PROBLEM: I've created my own copy of the Student Activity Packet, and my students have their own copies in my LMS, but they can't edit any of the activities INSIDE the Student Activity Packet. Why not?
THE ANSWER: Watch this short video for a quick life hack to those pesky activities that say View Only.
Want to receive a weekly PRO Tip to your inbox? Sign up here. ...
A Twist on Teaching Philanthropy
NGPF Fellow Sue Suttich of Tigard High School (Tigard, OR) wrote in with this awesome spin she put on our Philanthropy lesson and materials (found in the "Bonus" section of our website), just in time for the winter holidays! Read on to hear Sue's creative idea for her sports marketing class.
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I wanted to share with you a way I have used your Charity/Philanthropy project. I think it is a good way to show teachers your projects can fit...
How Teachers Use NGPF: A Month In the Life of the NGPF Website
By Tim Ranzetta
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Nov 06, 2018
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Research, Teaching Strategies, Personal Finance, Interactive, Activities, Paying for College
A huge thank you to educators who have shared their excitement about our website and PD offerings to their colleagues. You have helped us expand our impact as we have added over 10,000 teachers to our platform in just the last 12 months. The largest source of new teachers: "word of mouth." This allows NGPF to spend less on marketing our services and more on serving teachers with FREE curriculum, PD and advocacy efforts.
This jump in teachers has translated to tremendous growth with our...
NGPF Podcast: Tim Talks To Gwen Tulin and Victoria Golden of Brain Arts Production (Chicago, IL)
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Oct 12, 2018
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Podcasts, Tips for Teachers, Personal Finance, Activities
Brain Arts Production is the brainchild—pun intended—of Gwen Tulin and Victoria Golden, who have a passion for using the dramatic arts to educate young people about money. This Chicago-based nonprofit has a mission to help students build financial literacy skills through the creative method of learning by doing. The organization teaches students money skills through projects such as pitching a business in a Shark Tank scenarios or staying on budget while producing a short film. Gwen...
View from the Trenches: The Checking Account Decision-Making Process (Without A Parent)
By Guest Post
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Oct 08, 2018
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Checking Accounts, Teaching Strategies, Tips for Teachers, Activities
Thanks to NGPF Fellow Charles Kafoglis for sharing this recent checking activity he did with this students which yielded some surprising results.
Here's the view from the trenches:
Each year, in my unit "Bank On It", I use the NGPF Activity to have students describe and compare checking accounts. They must compare checking accounts from three different types of banks: national/regional/local, credit unions, and online banks. One of the three banks must be their current...
Bringing Creativity Into Your Classroom [from inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity]
We know that the job market of the future will reward creativity. It's one place where we still enjoy advantages over machines. You may be wondering, "how can I teach my students to be creative problem-solvers." The good news is that there lots of talented people trying to solve this problem. Today I am happy to share some ideas that I picked up from Tina Seelig's book, inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity. In this book, the Stanford d.school professor [NGPF fellows consistently vote the...
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