Remote Learning Lessons
To assist teachers converting their’ instruction to an online and flipped classroom environment for K-12 economics and personal finance, VCEE and it’s network of Centers for Economic Education across Virginia have pulled lessons that will be easy for teachers to use. These resources are from a variety of affiliated partners across the country. If you have something you would like to share with fellow teachers, email us at vcee@vcu.edu.
These resources have been broken out into categories to help with High School EPF Personal Finance SOLs, Middle School Civics and Econ, K-5 and other general curricula.
Title: Lights, Camera, Budget!
Grade Level: Grades 6-12
Concepts: Personal Finance
Type of Resource: online game
Description: Lights, Camera, Budget! is an online game designed to help students master financial literacy concepts. The object of the game is for students to earn investment $$$ by answering personal finance questions correctly. The money they earn goes toward creating a “movie” that they design by making budgeting decisions based on their total investment amount earned. The more money they earn by answering questions correctly, the higher the budget they have to hire directors, actors, extras, etc for their movie. There is a middle school version and a high school version.
Link: https://www.econedlink.org/resources/lights-camera-budget/
Title: Personal Finance Case Studies – PBL
Grade Level: High School – Economics and Personal Finance Course
Concepts: covers all of the Personal Finance SOLs for the course
Type of Resource: overarching case study/assignment that will work well as an end of course alternative assessment
Description: Students are asked to assume the role of the financial advisor to a family that has asked for your help to solve their specific financial problems. There are 8 different case studies so teachers have flexibility with assignments. Each case study has students giving advice on credit, saving, college spending, insurance, loans, budgets, and retirement options. There is a rubric for each case study. Past case studies have been part of the Governor’s Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance competition.
Link: https://vcee.org/high-school/governors-challenge/personal-finance-case-study/
Title: EconLowDown Video series
Grade Level: High School – Government, Economics and Personal Finance
Concepts: circular flow, supply, demand, inflation, unemployment, scarcity, GDP, production possibilities frontier, the labor market, externalities
Type of Resource: Videos with check for understanding questions if used as part of EconLowDown (see website for details)
Description: The Economic Lowdown video series is produced by the Economic Education department of the St. Louis Fed for high school and college students. The series covers topics in economics, banking and monetary policy. The brief videos use clear, simple language and graphic elements so that students can better visualize the economic concepts presented. In the end, students see how economic principles affect the choices they make in their everyday lives.
Link: https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/economic-lowdown-video-series
Title: Personal Finance Case Studies – PBL
Grade Level: High School – Economics and Personal Finance Course
Concepts: covers all of the Personal Finance SOLs for the course
Type of Resource: overarching case study/assignment that will work well as an end of course alternative assessment
Description: Students are asked to assume the role of financial advisor to a family that has asked for your help to solve their specific financial problems. There are 8 different case studies so teachers have flexibility with assignments. Each case study has students giving advice on credit, saving, college spending, insurance, loans, budgets, and retirement options. There is a rubric for each case study. Past case studies have been part of the Governor’s Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance competition.
Link: https://vcee.org/high-school/governors-challenge/personal-finance-case-study/
Title: EconLowDown Video series
Grade Level: High School – Government, Economics and Personal Finance
Concepts: circular flow, supply, demand, inflation, unemployment, scarcity, GDP, production possibilities frontier, the labor market, externalities
Type of Resource: Videos with check for understanding questions if used as part of EconLowDown (see website for details)
Description: The Economic Lowdown video series is produced by the Economic Education department of the St. Louis Fed for high school and college students. The series covers topics in economics, banking and monetary policy. The brief videos use clear, simple language and graphic elements so that students can better visualize the economic concepts presented. In the end, students see how economic principles affect the choices they make in their everyday lives.
Link: https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/economic-lowdown-video-series
Title: A “Standard” Personal Finance Curriculum
Grade Level: High School – Economics & Personal Finance Course
Concepts: (7 units) Decision Making, Earning income, Buying goods and services, Saving, Using credit, Financial investing, Protecting and insuring
Type of Resource: lessons, videos, and online modules
Description: A “Standard” Personal Finance Curriculum is designed as a high school personal finance course. It is divided into seven units that address the six National Standards for Financial Literacy and a standard on decision making, respectively. Each unit includes a description, talking points, and links to recommended resources for teaching the given standard, along with a selection of supplemental resources. The talking points are introductory comments and information about the content for each unit. Recommended resources include lessons, videos, and online modules. Thus, the curriculum is designed with flexibility for teachers to select the individual resources that best meet the needs of their classes. The curriculum also includes a glossary of terms and a matrix that aligns all of the recommended and supplemental resources with the national standards.
If you have never used the EconLowDown curriculum platform before here is a video that will walk you through how to create a virtual classroom on their site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPPuQcaeLo
Link: https://www.stlouisfed.org/~/media/education/curriculum/pdf/a_standard_personal_finance_curriculum.pdf?la=en
Title: Supply and Demand Online Course for Teachers and Students
Grade Level: Middle School (Civics & Economics) and High School (Economics & Personal Finance)
Concepts: Supply, Demand, Market Equilibrium
Type of Resource: Online Course
Description: Supply and demand are among the most fundamental concepts in economics. An understanding of these topics helps students better understand the economic world in which they live. This course includes three interactive lessons that introduce supply, demand and market equilibrium. This course uses a fictitious chocolate market to help explain the concepts.
If you have never used the EconLowDown curriculum platform before here is a video that will walk you through how to create a virtual classroom on their site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPPuQcaeLo
Link: https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/supply-and-demand-online-course-for-teachers-and-students
Title: Understanding Globalization Through a T-Shirt
Grade Level: Middle School (Civics & Economics) and High School (Economics and Personal Finance)
Concepts: Globalization, Productive Resources, Production
Type of Resource: Video Segments and Discussion Questions
Description: The Planet Money team is making a T-shirt and following the shirt around the world as it gets manufactured — from the farms where the cotton is grown to the factories where the shirts are sewn together. Use the five video segments and discussion questions to investigate globalization.
Video Link: http://apps.npr.org/tshirt/#/title
Discussion Questions Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z4TsdYUTe8MYWhDe0UDu0fWE-3sWDLJ6/view?usp=sharing
Title: The Federal Reserve and You
Grade Level: Middle School (Civics & Economics), HS Government, Economics and Personal Finance
Concepts: Federal Reserve System, Monetary Policy
Type of Resource: Video. Anticipation/reaction guide in lesson
Description: In this lesson, students view a film segment from The Federal Reserve and You that introduces the Federal Reserve. Using an anticipation/reaction guide, students learn what the Fed is, what it does, and what its impact on the economy is.
Video Link: https://www.philadelphiafed.org/education/federal-reserve-and-you
Lesson Link: https://www.philadelphiafed.org/-/media/education/teachers/resources/fed-today/Your_Introduction_to_The_Federal_Reserve_and_You_Lesson.pdf
Title: Globalization, Robots, and You
Concepts: Globalization, Creative Destruction, Innovation, Automation, International Trade, Career Selection & Readiness, Income Distribution
Type of Resource: Video, GoogleDoc Worksheets, Summative Assessment
Description: This five-day online modular curriculum covers globalization, automation, creative destruction, the elephant graph (income distribution), and more. All the materials are provided as Google Docs. Click the “day” link to see the folder of materials for that day. Inside each day’s folder, you’ll find a lesson plan as well as a subfolder with the worksheets and supplementary documents for the day. Each lesson plan will link directly to all necessary worksheets and supplementary documents in Google Drive. Note: Answer keys are not publicly available, but are available to teachers upon request.
Link: https://mru.org/teacher-resources/active-learning/curriculum-globalization-robots-and-you
Title: Invest in What’s Next: Life After High School
Grade Level: Middle School (Career Exploration) and High School (Economics & Personal Finance Course)
Concepts: Career Exploration, Budgeting, Decision Making, Borrowing, Earnings
Type of Resource: lessons, videos, and online modules
Description: Invest in What’s Next: Life After High School is a FREE online, educational minicourse developed by the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and San Francisco. The goal of the course is to help students develop a post-secondary plan while learning and applying economics and personal finance concepts. The course has been designed with several implementation options for a classroom setting so that teachers can find the best fit and tailor their level of involvement.
Implementation Guide: https://www.investinwhatsnext.org/Content/Home/Documents/IWN-Classroom-Educator-Strategy-Guide.pdf
Quick Reference Guide: https://www.investinwhatsnext.org/Content/Home/Documents/IWN-Educator-Quick-Reference.pdf
Resource Link: https://mru.org/teacher-resources/active-learning/curriculum-globalization-robots-and-you
Title: The Mint: Try It
Concepts: personal finance, credit, spending, entrepreneurship
Type of Resource: online games
Description: This is the interactive section from the Mint. They include – What Kind of Spender are You?, Credit Card IQ, When Will You Be a Millionaire, The Be Your Own Boss Challenge
Link: http://www.themint.org/try-it/index.html
Title: Fiscal Ship
Concepts: federal budgeting, government, fiscal policy, public goods
Type of Resource: Online game simulation
Description: The Fiscal Ship challenges you to put the federal budget on a sustainable course. But budget decisions aren’t only about fiscal sustainability. They also shape the kind of country we live in. To win the game, you need to find a combination of policies that match your values and priorities AND set the budget on a sustainable course.
Links: http://fiscalship.org/index.php
Lesson Plan to go with simulation: http://www.econedlink.org/teacher-lesson/1339/Federal-Budget-Lesson-Plan-Fiscal-Ship-Student-Game
Title: Chair the Fed
Concepts: Monetary Policy, Interest rates, Federal Reserve
Type of Resource: Online simulation
Description: Learn how monetary policy works by taking charge of a simulated economy. Manipulate interest rates and monetary policy to keep the economy on an even track. Will they reappoint you as Fed Chair?
Link: http://www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/chair-federal-reserve-economy-simulation-game/
Title: It’s Your Paycheck! Online Course for Teachers and Students (9 online lessons)
Grade Level: High School – Economics & Personal Finance Course
Concepts: Human Capital, Wages, W4, W2, Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Budget, Saving, Compound Interest, Rule of 72, Using Credit, Credit Report, Borrowing, Loans, PayDay Loans, APR, Renting vs. Buying
Type of Resource: online modules
Description: It’s Your Paycheck! is designed to introduce personal finance content. Course participants learn about a variety of personal finance topics including the link between education and income, budgeting, the benefits of saving, and credit reports. These learning modules will help participants make sense of W-2s, W-4s, pay -day Loans and APRs in an interactive online format. It’s Your Paycheck! consists of nine individual programs that can be used together or individually to enhance personal finance learning.
If you have never used the EconLowDown curriculum platform before here is a video that will walk you through how to create a virtual classroom on their site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPPuQcaeLo
Link: https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/its-your-paycheck-online-course-for-teachers-and-students
Title: The Federal Reserve and You
Grade Level: Middle School (Civics & Economics)
Concepts: Federal Reserve System, Monetary Policy
Type of Resource: Video. Anticipation/reaction guide in lesson
Description: In this lesson, students view a film segment from The Federal Reserve and You that introduces the Federal Reserve. Using an anticipation/reaction guide, students learn what the Fed is, what it does, and what its impact on the economy is.
Video Link: https://www.philadelphiafed.org/education/federal-reserve-and-you
Resource Link: https://www.philadelphiafed.org/-/media/education/teachers/resources/fed-today/Your_Introduction_to_The_Federal_Reserve_and_You_Lesson.pdf
Title: Build Your Stax – Next Gen
Grade Level: Grades 6-12
Concepts: Investing
Type of Resources: Online Simulation
Description: 20-minute simulation that reflects 20 years of investing. Students have the following choices to invest in: Savings, CD, Index Fund, Individual Stocks, Govt. Bonds, Commodity crops – Corn, wheat, and Gold.
Link: https://buildyourstax.com/
Title: How the Market Works – Free Stock Market Simulation Game
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Concepts: Investing, stocks, bonds
Type of Resource: Online simulation
Description: Permits professors/instructors/teachers to create a customized “Assignment” that requires their students to read certain articles, watch certain videos, and make certain types of trades; each of these activities includes a Pop Quiz at the end to insure student mastery of the concepts being taught
Link: https://www.howthemarketworks.com/
Title: Personal Finance Printables
Grade Level: Grades K-5
Type of Resource: activity book and handouts
Concepts: Decision-making, saving, spending, budgets, wants and needs
Description: In this personal finance activity book, students will complete one-page handouts including sing-a-longs, matching, and drawings. This resource full of one-page printable activities reinforces concepts such as saving, spending, needs, wants, budgets and more to complement in-class lessons or for students to bring the learning home.
Link: https://www.econedlink.org/resources/personal-finance-printables/
Title: Econ and Me
Grade Level: Grades K-5
Concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, production/producers, consumption/consumers
Type of Resource: Video
Description: 15-minute videos for elementary students, from PBS Kids. Includes a teacher’s guide and lessons for each video.
Link: https://www.ket.org/education/resources/econ-and-me/
Title: Currency Academy
Grade Level: Grades 3-5
Concepts: money, goods, services, recognizing the value of paper currency
Type of Resource: 3 online “lessons” with video that will take students approximately 15 minutes to complete each; check your knowledge multiple choice questions
Description: The Currency Academy is created especially for a young audience. Your students will discover how currency is used, observe artistic concepts found in currency, learn about how money works, and compare elements of the natural world to the special features found on currency. Set up your classroom for free in Econ Lowdown platform. Econ Lowdown is a FREE platform with online courses and videos for K-12 and college classrooms from the St. Louis Federal Reserve.
If you have never used the EconLowDown curriculum platform before here is a video that will walk you through how to create a virtual classroom on their site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPPuQcaeLo
Link: https://www.econlowdown.org/resource-gallery/currency_academy
Title: Once Upon a Decision
Grade Level: K-3
Concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, decision-making, choices
Type of Resource: Online video in story form that will take students approximately 20 minutes to complete; check your knowledge multiple choice questions
Description: In this short course, your students will read and listen to a story about Ella, who has decisions to make. While most of her decisions are easy, she runs across a hard one and employs a decision-making tool to solve her problem. Set up your classroom for free in Econ Lowdown platform. Econ Lowdown is a FREE platform with online courses and videos for K-12 and college classrooms from the St. Louis Federal Reserve.
If you have never used the EconLowDown curriculum platform before here is a video that will walk you through how to create a virtual classroom on their site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPPuQcaeLo
Link: https://www.econlowdown.org/resource-gallery/decision_making_elem
Title: Ella Saves Today
Grade Level: 3-5
Concepts: saving, spending, banks
Type of Resource: Online video in story form that will take students approximately 20 minutes to complete; check your knowledge multiple choice questions.
Description: Short course focusing on saving, spending, and banking. Your students will read and listen to a short story about Ella who has money she wants to save in a bank account.
Set up your classroom for free in Econ Lowdown platform. Econ Lowdown is a FREE platform with online courses and videos for K-12 and college classrooms from the St. Louis Federal Reserve.
If you have never used the EconLowDown curriculum platform before here is a video that will walk you through how to create a virtual classroom on their site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPPuQcaeLo
Link: https://www.econlowdown.org/resource-gallery/ella_saves_today
Title: Change Maker – FunBrain
Grade Level: 2-8
Concepts: identify the value of coins, math
Type of Resource: online interactive game
Description: Figure out the correct amount of change and the money goes into your piggy bank. Uses pictures of the real coins as well as the amount they are worth in the picture. Different levels of difficulty (amounts less than $1.00 is the easy level), and you can work with different national currency (Mexico, Canada, Great Britain).
Link: http://www.funbrain.com/cashreg/index.html
Title: US Mint – Hip Change
Grade Level: K-8
Concepts: coins, counting, map skills, coloring pages
Type of Resource: Online interactive games and videos
Description: Looking for hands-on ways to teach kids about coins? The Mint has games, word searches, and more!
Link: https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids
Title: $martPath
Grade Level: K-5
Type of Resource: A series of short videos and additional teaching resources, sponsored by The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati, teaching elementary economic concepts including scarcity; goods and services; supply and demand; and personal finance.
Description: $martPath with Megan Piphus is a fun way to learn about money that combines live-action, music videos, original songs, comedy, ventriloquism, and puppetry!
Link: https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/smartpath/
Title: SMG Student Activity Packet
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Type of Resource: Student Activity Packet
Description: 32-page packet for students playing the Stock Market Game
• Key Financial Terms
• Reading a Stock Quote
• Stock Quote Worksheet
• Starting Your Company Research
• How to Enter a Stock Trade
• Diversification 101
• Mutual Funds 101
• Reading a Mutual Fund Quote
• Mutual Fund NAV Worksheet
• Bonds 101
• Corporate, Municipal, Agency & US Treasury Bonds
• Diversifying Your Portfolio
• InvestWrite Essay Competition
• Educator Webinar Schedule & Registration
Link: https://tinyurl.com/SMG-Activity-Pack
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Type of Resource: Student Activity Packet
Description: 32-page packet for students playing the Stock Market Game
• Key Financial Terms
• Reading a Stock Quote
• Stock Quote Worksheet
• Starting Your Company Research
• How to Enter a Stock Trade
• Diversification 101
• Mutual Funds 101
• Reading a Mutual Fund Quote
• Mutual Fund NAV Worksheet
• Bonds 101
• Corporate, Municipal, Agency & US Treasury Bonds
• Diversifying Your Portfolio
• InvestWrite Essay Competition
• Educator Webinar Schedule & Registration
Link: https://tinyurl.com/SMG-Activity-Pack
Title: Build Your Stax – Next Gen
Grade Level: Grades 6-12
Concepts: Investing
Type of Resources: Online Simulation
Description: 20-minute simulation that reflects 20 years of investing. Students have the following choices to invest in: Savings, CD, Index Fund, Individual Stocks, Govt. Bonds, Commodity crops – Corn, wheat, and Gold.
Link: https://buildyourstax.com/
Title: SMG- Short Selling Explained
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Concepts: Investing – short selling stocks
Type of Resource: Student Reading and Comprehension Questions
Description: Explains the reasoning behind selling short and examples of the math involved
Link: https://vcee.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2017-Short-Selling.pdf
Title: SMG – Invest Write Competition
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Type of Resource: Essay writing prompts for Invest Write competition
Description: Students must be playing the SMG to be eligible to participate in the competition. Writing prompts are in three groups: Grades 4-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12. Essays are due on April 24th.
Link: https://www.investwrite.org/
Title: How the Market Works – Free Stock Market Simulation Game
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Concepts: Investing, stocks, bonds
Type of Resource: Online simulation
Description: Permits professors/instructors/teachers to create a customized “Assignment” that requires their students to read certain articles, watch certain videos, and make certain types of trades; each of these activities includes a Pop Quiz at the end to insure student mastery of the concepts being taught
Link: https://www.howthemarketworks.com/
Title: How Does the Stock Market Work? video
Grade Level: Grades 4-12
Concepts: Investing, history of stocks, IPO
Type of Resource: Video
Description: TED-Ed video: In the 1600s, the Dutch East India Company employed hundreds of ships to trade goods around the globe. In order to fund their voyages, the company turned to private citizens to invest money to support trips in exchange for a share of the profits. In doing so, they unknowingly invented the world’s first stock market. So how do companies and investors use the market today?
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7HKvqRI_Bo
Title: Intro To Stock Markets video – Marginal Revolution University
Grade Level: Grades 9-12
Concepts: Investing, stocks, IPO, profits, dividends
Type of Resource: Video with practice questions
Description: As an individual, you participate in the stock market when you buy a company’s shares. This turns you into a part-owner, entitled to some of the company’s profits. Sometimes, profits are paid out directly via dividends. Still, the buying and selling of stock doesn’t actually create any new investment. Buying and selling only transfers ownership between stockholders.
Link: https://mru.org/courses/principles-economics-macroeconomics/stock-markets
Flipgrid
Article: Lights, Camera, Student Voice: Using Technology to Address and Explore
Economics Within the C3 Framework
Description: The aim of this study was to explore an elementary teacher’s perceptions of the use of Flipgrid when teaching economics concepts using the C3 Framework. 1) How does Flipgrid promote student voice? 2) How does Flipgrid assist teachers instructionally? 3) How does Flipgrid impact student engagement and student learning?
Link: https://www.iajiss.org/index.php/iajiss/article/view/461/349
Zoom
Training Video: Weekly Virginia Teachers come together to discuss ways that we are dealing with the shifting landscape of distance learning. This Zoom demo for teachers using input from teachers was presented.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAd2e_YhYEg