This document outlines 50 creative ways to teach personal finance. It begins with the webinar objectives of describing 30 learning activities and 20 technology tools for teaching personal finance. It then lists 30 learning activities such as financial coats of arms, bingo, poems, case studies, simulations, and goal setting. It concludes by describing 20 technology tools for teaching personal finance such as PowerPoint games, online quizzes, animated videos, simulations, and curricula. The document provides links to online resources for each activity and tool.

1. 50 Creative Ways
to Teach
Personal Finance
Dr. Barbara O’Neill
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu

2. Webinar Objectives
• Describe 30 learning activities and 20
technology tools to teach personal
finance
• Hear webinar participants’ creative
teaching strategies
• Provide links to online resources

3. What is Your Favorite
Personal Finance
Teaching Activity?

4. 30 Learning
Activities

5. 1. Financial Coat of Arms
http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/coat-of-arms-activity-personal-finance-class

6. 2. Financial Bingo

7. 3. Polarity Activity
• “Vote with your feet” or hold up signs
• Students must defend their position
–Agree vs. Disagree
–Need vs. Want
–Buy vs. Don’t Buy
–Other?

8. 4. Venn Diagrams
Both
Saving
Investing

9. 5. Rule of Three Activity

10. 6. Paper Bag Theater
• Form teams of 4-5 students
• Use ALL of items in their paper bag and ANY other
items in their possession (e.g., paper, cell phone) to
develop a 2-minute skit on a specified topic
• Allow 15 minutes for students to develop and
rehearse their skits
• Present the skits to the class

11. 7. Financial Poems
One thing in life that isn’t so funny,
Is how hard it is when you owe people money.
So don’t be stupid and go into debt,
If you do, it’ll be something that you regret.
Use credit cards wisely and pay what you owe,
Otherwise you’ll live a life of woe.
Watch credit card interest rates and late fees too,
Don’t let frivolous spending take control over you.
The bottom line is there are wants and there are needs.
Buy only what is necessary and avoid all the greed.

12. 8. WebQuests: Structured
Online Learning Activities
Example:
http://www.mwcsk12.org/faculty/twilson/intro2occ/personalfinance
/personalbudgetquest/indexpersonalbudgetwebquest.htm
Most people have ideas on what type of car they would like to own.
Use the links below to find your dream car. On the graded work sheet, record the
• Price of the car
• URL that you used
•Autoweb.com
•Microsoft Carpoint
•autotrader.com
•No, you may note use E-Bay!

13. 9. Personal Finance
Case Studies
• Examples:
http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/assignments/case-study.html
http://www.vcee.org/Personal_Finance_Case_Study
• Make case study presentations fun: Animated
videos, recorded videos, IGNITE
presentations, poems, skits, etc.
• Example: http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/personal-
finance-class-group-case-study-project-slides-1211

14. 10. Acrostics Activity

15. 11. Money Songs
• Ask students to select a song about money, wealth,
or a personal finance topic from available online lists
• Have students listen to their song and present a
short description of its take-away educational
message or theme
• Resource for grades K-4: It’s a Habit Company, Inc.:
http://www.itsahabit.com/sammy.html
– S-A-V-E: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTEy3D6oJFQ

16. 12. In the News
• Ask students to read and summarize a financial
article and make a 3-5 minute class presentation
about it
• Grade on both their presentation and reaction paper
• The article can be drawn from a newspaper like The
Wall Street Journal, a magazine like Money, or a
financial information Web site
• Have students attach the article to their paper

17. 13. Reality Simulations
• Description of financial simulation benefits:
http://www.joe.org/joe/2008december/pdf/JOE_v46_6tot4.pdf
• University of Illinois program called Welcome to the
Real World: https://pubsplus.illinois.edu/RW-03-CD.html
• CUNA program called Mad Money City:
http://www.cuna.org/Marketing-And-Member-
Education/Products/Mad-City-Money-workshop-and-simulation-
kit/
• NJCFE program called Real Money:
http://www.njcfe.org/?page=ItemsforEducators

18. 14. Your Time, Your Money
• Learning activity that helps students understand the
relationship between spending and time spent earning
money to buy things
• “Anna Jones works 15 hours a week at a convenience
store and earns $7.50 per hour”
• Questions about number of work hours needed to buy
various items
http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/learning-activity-
your-timeyour-moneyshort

19. 15. Value Clarification
Activities
• Two-page worksheet for students to check top 10
and then top 5 values:
http://www2.sfasu.edu/advising/VALUES%20CLARIFICATI
ON%20EXERCISE.pdf
• “Process of elimination” values clarification activity:
http://www.dawnfrail.com/toolkit/clarify-values
• Work Values Clarification activity:
http://services.vsac.org/60Render?library=resources&nam
e=Work_Values_Clarification_Worksheet.pdf

20. 16. Make a Table Activity
• Students create 5 row by 5 column table with
numbers from financial calculators and
describe the take-away message
Example:
http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/assignments/sliderule1.html

21. 17. Balancing Act
• Have students form small groups to identify
– 5 ways to increase household income
– 5 ways to reduce expenses
• Share small group ideas with the total class

22. 18. Financial Goal-Setting
Activity Worksheets
• Goal-setting worksheet for youth:
http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/learning-activity-go-
for-the-goal-2
• Goal-setting worksheet for adults:
http://njaes.rutgers.edu/money/pdfs/goalsettingworksheet.pdf
• SMART Goal worksheet for adults:
http://www.creditcounsellingcanada.ca/Portals/0/Smart%20Goal
%20Worksheet.pdf

23. 19. Time Value of
Money Problems
• Teach students how to use a financial calculator
functions (PV, FV, etc.)
• Develop time value of money problems or use
problems such as those found at
– http://www2.fiu.edu/~keysj/TVM_PROBLEMS.pdf
– http://www.hfcsd.org/webpages/tnassivera/files/time_value
_of-money_lesson_plan_145.pdf

24. 20. Plug the Leaks

25. 21. The Bean Game
“Classic” activity to teach scarcity of resources
and the need to set spending priorities
Downloadable game boards:
http://extension.usu.edu/utah/files/uploads/Finance/THE%20BEAN
%20GAME.pdf
http://extension.missouri.edu/bsf/money/BeanGame_BW.pdf

26. 22. PowerPay Activity
• Have students create a hypothetical debt repayment
scenario with at least 7 creditors.
• Then have students run a PowerPay analysis and describe
the time and interest savings
• See http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/assignments/powerpay.html

27. 23. Savings Sound Bite
• Can do for savings or any other financial topic
• Have students develop a motivational phrase to
motivate others to improve their finances
• Sound bites must be:
– No more than 12 words
– Motivational
– Easy to understand
Savings Sound Bite

28. 24. Money Books
• http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-
finance/articles/2013/07/24/the-best-childrens-books-
for-money-lessons
• http://www.amazon.com/Books-Teach-Children-About-
Money/lm/RM5SZ3F1COQV7
For visual effects, as you read
this book to young children, cut
taped pennies from a piece of
tape with 100 pennies as
Alexander spends his dollar

29. 25. Double Your Dough
• Teach the “Rule of 72”:
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/ruleof72.asp
• Have students identify how long it would take for a
sum of money to double at 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and
9% interest rates

30. 26. Stop, Thief!
• Show the FTC videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IEBVIh7bzc and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoPJImjP1ZQ
• Have students form groups to discuss the
following topics:
– How identity thieves steal personal data
– What identity thieves do with personal data
– How to reduce the risk of becoming an identity
theft victim

31. 27. Loan Calculation
Activities
• Develop “real world” problems and direct students to
online loan calculators such as
http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/mortgages/loan-
calculator.aspx and http://apps.finra.org/Calcs/1/Loan
• Financial Fitness For Life Theme 4, Lesson 17:
Shopping for an Auto Loan:
http://www.ccms.clay.kyschools.us/textbooks/cte/fac
s/fffl/data/papers/9-12/978-1-56183-696-3_17.pdf

32. 28. JA Finance Park and
BizTown
• Sponsored by Junior Achievement (JA)
• Finance Park: Reality-based immersive personal
finance and career exploration simulation following a 4-
week course for middle and high school students (on
site and online): http://janj.org/programs/ja_finance_park
• BizTown: Teaches financial literacy , entrepreneurship,
and work readiness to 5th and 6th graders:
http://janj.org/programs/ja_biztown

33. 29. Community
Resources
• Guest speakers
• Job shadowing
• Bank or credit union tours
• Community financial fairs, conferences, and lectures
• Field trips: http://www.accountingdegree.com/blog/2011/10-incredible-field-trips-for-finance-nerds/
– Federal Reserve Banks (12 cities including NYC)
– U.S. Mint (Denver & Philadelphia)
– New York Stock Exchange; Chicago Mercantile Exchange
– Museum of American Finance (NYC)

34. 30. Other Personal Finance
Learning Activities
• Check-Writing Activity (Practical Money Skills):
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/spanish/pdf/teache
rs/specialneeds/lev_3/lesson_06/6_3activity.pdf
• Insurance Simulation
• Peer-to-peer financial education and counseling
• Piggy bank pageants (grades K-3)
• Essay, poster, and video contests
• Other?

35. 20
Technology
Tools

36. 1. PowerPoint Jeopardy! Game
See http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/review/index.html and
http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/jeopardy-game-young-adults-moneycolor-
changesyellow for sample games
See http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/rutgers-hybrid-online-confpower-point-
gamesanimated-videosoneill0114 for PowerPoint tutorial

37. 2. PowerPoint Millionaire Game
Sample Game:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=bnlwbC5vcmd8bW9uZXktbW
F0dGVyc3xneDoyZGI2OTE0OGFjNjY5MTVh

38. 3. Microsoft Excel
Templates
• Asset Allocation Spreadsheet
• Asset Allocation Spreadsheet With Pie Chart
• Net Worth Calculation Spreadsheet
• Spending Plan Worksheet
Source: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/money/

39. 4. Online Financial Quizzes
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Assessment
Tools:
• Financial Fitness Quiz
• Identity Theft Risk Assessment Quiz
• Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz
• Personal Health and Finance Quiz
• Personal Resiliency Resources Assessment Quiz
• Wise Credit Management Quiz

40. 5. IGNITE Presentations
• 5 minute PowerPoint presentations
• 20 slides advance automatically every 15 seconds
• Students or teacher can create a presentation using a
template with automated slides
• Template master:
http://www.ignitephoenix.com/tips/
• IGNITE Presentation: How to Buy a New Car:
http://igniteshow.com/videos/how-buy-new-car-
ignite-seattle-2007

41. 6. Future Me Web Site
• Schedule an e-mail to yourself at a future date
• Can make it public, but anonymous
• Message starts with “Dear Future Me”
• Can use to have students send themselves
“reminders”
– Action steps
– Financial goals
– Assignments and due dates
• Good accountability tool for those who use e-mail
http://www.futureme.org/

42. 7. Online Financial
Calculators
Literally thousands…on all personal finance topics
• ASEC Ballpark Estimate (retirement savings calculator):
www.asec.org
• PowerPay© (debt payment calculator): www.powerpay.org
• HSH Associates Mortgage Amortization Calculator:
www.hsh.com/calc-amort.html
• Loan Calculator:
http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/mortgages/loan-calculator.aspx
• Others?

43. 8. Online Games and
Simulations
• Financial Football (Visa):
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/games/trainingcamp/
• Reality Check (Jump$tart Coalition):
http://www.jumpstartcoalition.org/reality-check.html
• The Stock Market Game™ (SIFMA Foundation):
http://www.stockmarketgame.org/
• Gen i Revolution (Council for Economic Education):
http://www.genirevolution.org/
• Others?

44. 9. Animated Videos
• Use platforms such as http://goanimate.com/ and
http://www.creazaeducation.com/ and
http://www.moovly.com/ and http://digitalfilms.com/ and
http://www.dvolver.com/moviemaker/index.html
– Article: 5 Best Sites to Make Animated Video Trouble-Free:
http://www.freemake.com/blog/5-best-sites-to-make-animated-video-trouble-free/
• Personal Finance Animated Videos (O’Neill):
https://www.youtube.com/user/moneytalkBMO
• Co-Signing a Loan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yte4MBtoAqg

45. 10. “Whiteboard” Videos
• Health Insurance Terminology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjRAgZ6DbZ0 and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLjRGmm08pY
• Phishing (Identity Theft):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8lWLwuiDwk
• Saving and Investing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DBdWeTxXeU

46. 11. Online Personal
Finance Courses
• High School Age: Money Skill
http://www.moneyskill.org/
• College Age: Money U https://moneyu.com/
and University of Florida Personal &
Family Financial Planning MOOC:
https://www.coursera.org/course/uffinancialplanning
• Other online courses?

47. 12. Pinterest Boards
• Students create new board or view existing boards
• Article: “5 Personal Finance Pinterest Boards to
Follow”: http://www.mnn.com/money/personal-finance/blogs/5-
personal-finance-pinterest-boards-to-follow

48. 13. Twitter Chats
• Students create a unique chat hashtag and
designate a date/time, topic, and questions
OR
• View a regularly scheduled personal finance
Twitter chat
• List of personal finance Twitter chats:
http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/social-media-
resources-for-financial-education-0414

49. 14. Facebook Posts
• Have students write Facebook messages
about personal finance topics
• Set up a class Facebook page
• Teacher serves as administrator of the page
• NJCFE grant project found increase in student
knowledge after class lessons involving
written social media messages

50. 15. Google+ Hangouts
• Free video chatting: video + voice
• Can involve up to 10 people
• Great way for students to collaborate on
studying, group projects, club activities, etc.
• Great way for teachers to reach out to
students too ill to come to class

51. 16. Financial Fitness for
Life Curriculum
• Developed by the Council for Economic
Education: http://fffl.councilforeconed.org/
• “No Hassle” access
• 4 grade levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
• Can download visuals and activities online
• Web site also has links to related lessons
• Can also purchase materials (CD or book)

52. 17. Learning, Earning,
and Investing Curriculum
• Developed by the Council for Economic
Education: http://lei.councilforeconed.org/
• “No Hassle” access
• 21 lessons related to investing and wealth
accumulation
• Can download visuals and activities online
• Can also purchase materials (book)

53. 18. Money Smart for
Youth (FDIC)
• Two FDIC Money Smart curricula: ages 5-8
and ages 12-20
• “No Hassle” access
• Download modules at
https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart
/young.html

54. 19. Curricula Requiring
Teacher Accounts and Logins
• NEFE High School Financial Planning
Program: http://www.hsfpp.org/
• Take Charge Today (U of Arizona):
https://takechargetoday.arizona.edu/
• Others?

55. 20. Online Financial
Knowledge Quizzes
• Credit Scores (CFA): http://www.creditscorequiz.org/
• National Financial Capability Study (FINRA):
http://www.usfinancialcapability.org/quiz.php
• Student Financial Dollars and Sense (CUNY):
http://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/sa/
flep/quiz.html
• Health Insurance Quiz (Kaiser Foundation):
http://kff.org/quiz/health-insurance-quiz/

56. Comments? Questions?
Additional Resources?