April is Financial Literacy Month, and Utah schools are under a soft closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time of remote learning, the Office of State Treasurer wants to make teachers and parents aware of financial education resources they can share with students.
This page includes one financial education resource or activity for each day of the month. Each day, the office also shares the resource associated with that day on social media.
The Office of State Treasurer administers the Utah Stock Market Game. We are offering a new, non-competitive Stock Market Game session that runs April 6 through June 5 as a resource for students while they are learning from home. Teachers or home-school parents can register students to participate in the session at no cost. Please note that prizes will NOT be awarded for this additional game session. Register today: stockmarketgame.org.
You can also download the Stock Market Game Student Activity Packet. Building an understanding of investing principles can be particularly valuable for students during this time of economic turmoil. Download now: https://bit.ly/2TZqN2y.
You can email our office any questions you might have about the game: SMG@utah.gov.
Have your students play the game Spent and reflect on their experience of living paycheck to paycheck by completing the Next Gen Personal Finance worksheet.
- Game: http://playspent.org/html/
- Worksheet: https://bit.ly/39xMxHl
The FoolProof program is a highly interactive, self-grading group of online lessons called "modules." The modules teach young people about money, financial responsibility, and the free enterprise system.
The entire FoolProof curriculum contains a total of 18 different modules, which takes the average user about 16 hours to complete. You—or your kids—can also decide to use a few modules, or even just one.
Your kids can work at their own pace, as all the modules allow them to stop at any point and then pick up at that same point at another time.
Access resource: https://www.foolproofme.org/
In this Next Gen Personal Finance activity, students will follow multi-step directions to complete a full adult budget, including housing, transportation, food, insurance, student loans, etc.
They will then reflect on the adult budget they’ve completed and assess how their choices impact their lifestyle.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/3aXd5mU
The FDIC's Money Smart for Young People series consists of four free curriculum products. Each age-appropriate curriculum includes lesson plans for educators along with guides for parents and caregivers.
Access Resource: https://bit.ly/39R2LvC
Consumers are powerful in a market economy, and the economic choices of consumers in the marketplace drive the behavior of producers. In this Council for Economic Education (CEE) EconEdLink lesson, students will learn the concept of Consumers.
The CEE website contains several other online resources to integrate personal finance and economics into K-12 curriculum.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/3c3aeJr
The Hands on Banking program, available in English and Spanish, offers free content to teach students important financial concepts, including lesson plans, instructor guides, student courses, activities, lessons, and quizzes.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/2JRGpzA
Budgeting is the most basic and most important tool in anyone's financial toolbox. With this Federal Reserve Bank resource, students are given the hands-on opportunity to create budgets for fictional "Regan" during her sophomore year in nursing school, and, later, as a recent graduate with an apartment and a new car.
Go to the course: https://bit.ly/2JNZxOL
This guide is a list of ideas on how you can lead your child in each of these areas at every age – whether they are 18 months or 18 years old. Each section includes tips on how to work with children to instill a basic understanding of money. (grades K-12)
Access resource: https://treasurer.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/my529Roadmap.pdf
Ready to get your game on? Test your money skills and give your brain a workout with these fun and educational games.
Access resource: http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/play
Personal Finance 101 Conversations is a series of short videos by the Federal Reserve Bank related to timely financial topics for students and consumers in their teens and 20s.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/3c5wOBh
The rise of online tools and apps has provided us with the ability to manage our finances like never before. Whether we are trying to budget smarter or put more away towards retirement, there’s an app for all kinds of financial goals. In this activity, students will conduct research on some of these online tools to discover their features and determine which one(s) they like best!
Access resource: https://bit.ly/2yCppuz
In this lesson, students learn that bankruptcy is a federal court proceeding designed to help individuals address debt problems and to provide fair treatment to creditors. They learn the six different types of bankruptcy; however, the lesson focuses on the two types of bankruptcies used mostly by consumers: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. They analyze bankruptcy terms and learn the similarities and differences between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 procedures. They also participate in an activity to match a bankruptcy step with its correct description.
Download lesson: https://bit.ly/34kWp6s
Ramp It Up is a gamified tool to encourage students to learn about and take positive action toward financial readiness for college.
Access resource: https://www.playrampitup.com/
April 15 is traditionally Tax Day; however, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the filing deadline for tax returns has been extended from April 15 to July 15, 2020. In celebration of Tax Day, teach your kids about taxes using NGPS's Taxes Activities.
Access resource: https://www.ngpf.org/curriculum/taxes/activities/
Developed for middle school and high school students, this online game gives your students the chance to learn important personal finance skills as they play and compete against fellow classmates.
The game includes sixteen Missions in which students attempt to help people in financial trouble. Students join the Gen i Revolution, strategically select their Operatives, and begin to explore and earn points as they work to complete each Mission
Access resource: http://www.genirevolution.org/
One of the best things about having your own money is that you get to choose how to use it. Whether you get a weekly allowance or get paid for walking your neighbor’s dog, your first step in handling your money well is to think about short-term and long-term goals. Then make a plan to reach them. It takes a bit of practice to master your money, just like it takes time to learn to ride a bike. But once you get the hang of it, you will be ready to tackle all sorts of money twists and turns. In this money guide, students will learn to earn, save, budget, spend, borrow, protect and give.
Access resource: http://practicalmoneyskills.com/teach/your_money_your_future
When it comes to investment and financial fraud, we are all at risk. But that does not mean students cannot learn to spot and avoid a scam—and even have fun doing it. Americans lose up to $50 billion per year to fraud, according to the Financial Fraud Research Center. And about 80 percent of consumers over the age of 40 said they'd been solicited for a potentially fraudulent scheme at some point. These are big problems, but research suggests that learning to spot the tactics used by fraudsters can help investors defend against them, and avoid becoming fraud victims.
That is where Con 'Em If You Can comes in. It is a new interactive game developed by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and D2D Fund that offers an innovative and downright entertaining way students can learn about these tactics.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/2UTTE9h
Students can get a glimpse of their future as their investing intelligence is put to the test in this online game created by the FTC and SEC.
Access resource: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/game-0007-invest-quest
These NGPF activities will help students identify and avoid financial pitfalls.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/3e3aMkd
Students can learn from Jay the Eagle about what the Federal Reserve System does for the economy.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/2UShgL8
Math That Makes Cents integrates financial literacy concepts into math lessons to make math more fun and engaging. Created in conjunction with the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability of Youth, each lesson is in worksheet form so you have a quick “in-and-out” opportunity to reinforce math with real world applications that your students can relate to.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/2RozbqL
UtahFutures provides tips, tools, resources, and conversation-starters about preparing and paying for college so obtaining a higher education can be a reality for all Utah students.
Access resource: https://www.utahfutures.org/
These classroom activities come with a teacher guide and supporting student material, so it’s easy to implement.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/2xW6z1g
Students will meet the challenges of four weeks on the road as they steer their way to financial stability. This game requires players to make decisions about income, expenses and savings. Players start with $1,000 cash and $0 savings. They shouldn't let their gas or insurance run out, or they will be stranded and the game will be over.
Access resource: http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/play/roadtrip_to_savings#
This resource, provided by the U.S. Mint, includes several games that teach kids about currency and managing money.
Access resource: https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids/games
Students can learn how monetary policy works by taking charge of a simulated economy.
Access resource: https://bit.ly/34jo7AC
Money Metropolis allows children to navigate a multi-dimensional world, making life decisions that will affect whether their virtual bank accounts shrink or grow. Completing tasks like raking leaves, mowing lawns and babysitting adds money to their virtual accounts that can be saved or spent in the virtual store.
Access resource: http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/play/money_metropolis
Learning about money is fun with Peter Pig. In this interactive game, kids practice identifying, counting and saving money while learning fun facts about U.S. currency. After completing the game, players are rewarded with a trip to the virtual store to buy accessories within budget and dress up Peter Pig in fun scenes.
Access Resource: https://bit.ly/2JRRoc1
Learning experiences that students can do on their own, with a parent or other caring adult, or with teachers via a digital/virtual environment. Resources are organized by school level and can be used whether or not you have engaged in a JA program in the past.
Access resource: https://www.juniorachievement.org/web/ja-usa/program-resources