Poptential™, a family of free social studies course packages from Certell, has infused personal finance lessons as part of its free Economics course to help students begin developing strong financial habits. Click to tweet.
“Regardless of income, it’s never too soon to start down the path to a successful financial future,” said Julie Smitherman, a former social studies teacher and director of content at Certell, Inc. “As students begin their summer jobs, knowing how to control their income and spending habits is a valuable life skill.”
Poptential’s Economics Module 12 features bell ringers, mini-lessons, and multimedia content to engage and teach students strategies for managing money, such as how to open a bank account, create and maintain a budget and gain control of spending habits. Lessons include:
Take the first step: A mini-lesson illustrates the critical first step to financial security – opening a bank account. Although a simple task, it can be overlooked by students. Learning more about banking beforehand will help students feel confident when walking into a bank for the first time. A video clip from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone shows Hagrid escorting Harry to Gringott’s bank in order to withdraw money to pay for books.
Build good habits: Another mini-lesson offers a step-by-step guide for establishing good habits that will lead to a successful financial future. Creating and maintaining a realistic budget to stay out of debt are brought to life in this video clip from the hilarious film Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Budget and save regularly: The budgeting chapter in Module 12 offers sound guidance on budgeting and monitoring spending habits. Lessons about how to start budgeting now, how to achieve monetary goals and how to use online budgeting tools are included. The lesson features an insightful video showcasing the conflict between “wants” versus “needs” and a call to make a monthly budget and save for the future.
Keep track of spending habits: The November 23 Bell Ringer, “Starbucks or Speedway?” (registration required) highlights why it makes more sense to make coffee at home or buy coffee from the gas station instead of splurging on an expensive latte from a coffee shop.
Poptential course packages include everything instructors need to teach a subject, including lessons, e-books, bell ringers, quizzes, and tests. The lessons use a variety of pop culture media to illustrate concepts, including those taken from sitcoms, movies, animations, cartoons, late-night shows, and other sources. The curriculum is standards-based and developed by teachers.
Poptential is available via a digital platform that allows students to access lessons even in poor bandwidth environments. Course packages in American History, World History, U.S. Government/Civics, and Economics are available free at www.poptential.org.
About Certell, Inc.
Certell is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to foster a generation of independent thinkers. More than 100,000 users from throughout the United States have signed up for Certell’s Poptential™ family of free social studies courses. Certell course packages have won a number of awards, including EdTech Digest Awards for Curriculum and Instruction Solution, Tech&Learning Best Tool for Back to School, Tech Edvocate Awards, Bronze Award of Excellence from the National Association of Economics Educators, and Civvys Awards. More information is available at poptential.org.
