Students design and decorate a classic monster - with a financial twist. These foul creatures are here to steal all your money, so you’d better be prepared to fight back.

Materials:

1. Student Templates. There are 5 different templates, plus a blank template. You will need at least one template per student.
2. Example Finance Monster 
3. Bulletin Board Title
4. Colored pens, pencils, or markers
5. Tape or staples to hang up the templates

Directions:

1. Distribute the Student Templates
2. Set the stage: Show the Example Finance Monster (or create your own example). Tell students their task is to create a scary monster with a unique skillset to get people's money.
3. Students brainstorm and decide on their finance monster.
4. Students create their monsters using the Student Templates. They:
   1. Write the name of their monster
   2. Decorate their monster
   3. Write 1-2 sentences describing what the monster does to people's money
   4. Write at least one strategy to defeat the monster
   5. Write their name on the back of the worksheet
5. Hang up the Bulletin Board Title and the completed Student Templates.

Looking for inspiration? Watch out for these monsters!

• Ghost of Forgotten Subscriptions (the Example Finance Monster)
  • Are you being…haunted? Old subscriptions can follow you from another realm.
  • The only way to stop it: Pay attention to where your money goes and review your charges each month.
• Interest Vampire of Visa
  • Lurking in the shadows, the interest vampire sneaks up to drain your wallet
  • The only way to stop it: Pay your full credit card balance each month
• Mummy of Missed Deadlines
  • Wrapped in layers of late fees and penalties, this mummy traps you tighter every time you forget to pay a bill on time.
  • The only way to stop it: Set up autopay or regular finance check-ins
• Consumerist Zombie
  • Don’t get bitten! This zombie has an insatiable need for brains - I mean, stuff.
  • The only way to stop it: Stay one step ahead with zombie-prevention strategies, like budgeting and pausing before making a purchase.
• Grim Reaper of Identity Theft
  • With just a swipe of his scythe, he steals your personal information and drains your accounts
  • The only way to stop it: Take steps to guard your financial identity, like using strong passwords or freezing your credit.

Don't miss out - register for the Halloween Ideas for the Personal Finance Classroom Virtual PD, Wed 10/22 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

Show off your monstrous creations on FinLit Fanatics!

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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