What to Teach Students About Finance at the Close of 2024

‘Tis the season of holiday mind drift. Students, parents, employees—everyone—are counting down to holiday pie, presents, and New Year’s fireworks. So why not finish the year with fun activities to keep your students engaged and save you a little time editing papers each night?

The last two weeks of December don’t need to be filled with catch-up work for the rest of the semester. Instead, let Banzai’s resources fill the gaps in your existing curriculum for a fun alternative to lessons.

Elementary School

Week of December 11–15

Monday: Complete the Paying with Cash and Making Change activity (pg. 5-6) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook and practice exchanging money as a class.
Tuesday: Fill in the Financial Scoop activity (pg.1-2) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook.
Wednesday: Assign students to ask a grown up about their experiences with money and what they wish they had known when they were younger. Complete the “Interview a Grown Up" worksheet in the Teacher Toolkit.
Thursday: Complete the Money Math activity (pg. 3-4) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook.
Friday: Play through Lemonade Tycoon in Elementary Personal Finance Online Course.

Week of December 18–22

Monday: Complete the Reading Challenge (pg. 7-8) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook.
Tuesday: Assign the Wants and Needs (pg. 9-10) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook.
Wednesday: Fill out the Savings Plan (pg. 11) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook.
Thursday: Complete the Time to Save (pg. 12) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook.
Friday: Play Banzai Swap as a class (pg. 13) in the Elementary Personal Finance Workbook.

Middle School

Week of December 11–15

Monday: Teach Credit and Debt Basics. Use Banzai's article Using Credit? for discussion, followed by a class activity where students calculate interest on a mock credit card balance.
Tuesday: Play through the Life Scenarios activity within the Middle School Personal Finance Course.
Wednesday: Complete the Lending, Credit, & Financial Services (pg. 1-2) and the Reading Challenge (pg.9-10) activities in the Middle School Personal Finance Workbook.
Thursday: Read the 50/30/20 Budgeting article and use the Budget Calculator to help a part-time student save for emergencies.
Friday: Fill out the S.M.A.R.T. Savings Goals (pg. 5-6) and the Budgeting Practice (pg. 7-8) activities within the Middle School Personal Finance Workbook.

Week of December 18–22

Monday: Discuss Charitable Giving and use Banzai’s Donating to Charity article. Encourage students to brainstorm ways to give back while staying on a set budget.
Tuesday: Play through Consumer Smarts within the Middle School Personal Finance Course.
Wednesday: Host a financial literacy wrap-up activity using the Pretest or Post-test resources to assess what students have learned.
Thursday: Complete the Supply, Demand, and You (pg. 3-4) and The Power of Interest (pg. 14) activities in the Middle School Personal Finance Workbook.
Friday: Fill out the Check and Deposit Slip (pg. 11-12) and the Saving or Investing (pg. 13) activities in the Middle School Personal Finance Workbook.

High School

Week of December 11–15

Monday: Teach new vocabulary to your students with the Personal Finance Vocabulary (pg. 1-2). Invite them to use the vocabulary they learned in a class discussion about why financial literacy is important.
Tuesday: Play through the online Advanced Budgeting activity within the High School Personal Finance Course.
Wednesday: Complete the Cost of Living activity (pg. 3-4) in the High School Personal Finance workbook then research somewhere they’ve thought of moving to after high school and calculate the cost of living (this can last more than one class period).
Thursday: Present and discuss student findings from Wednesday.
Friday: Complete the Understanding Credit Cards activity (pg. 9-10) in the High School Personal Finance workbook then lead a class discussion on risks/rewards of credit cards.

Week of December 18–22

Monday: Go through the Paycheck Deductions activity(pg. 5-6) in the High School Personal Finance workbook.
Tuesday: Complete the How to Fill Out a W-4 activity (pg.7-8) in the High School Personal Finance workbook.
Wednesday: Assign the Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur: Brainstorming Business Ideas activity (pg. 13-14) in the High School Personal Finance workbook.
Thursday: Use what students filled out in the Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur: Brainstorming Business Ideas activity above to write up a short business plan and share it with the class.
Friday: Play through the Business Structure Quiz and apply it to their business plan.