Money Matters FREEBIES

Transition is an important part of education for all students, but especially for special education students! Students need to learn about their options after high school and gain the life skills necessary for the future. However, it is very difficult to fit transition activities in when there are so many other standards to cover (my professor wasn't lying)! I find that this is even more true when you are teaching Jr. High or High School because you have those students for specific subjects, not all day. I have been brainstorming ways to fit transition activities into my regular subjects (I teach English, math, world history, and American history). Math is a good class to fit in lessons about budgeting, credit, interest, etc. These money managing lessons are so vital for our children's futures!

Tonight I turned to my friend Google and found some great free resources! All you have to do is sign up with the site. I'm thinking we might save these activities for after standardized testing. :)

1st Site: https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/foreducators/lesson_plans/special.php This is the link for the special education money skills curriculum, but this site also has lessons for PreK-2nd grade, 3-6 grade, 7-8 grade, high school, and college. I actually think I'm going to use the 3-6 lesson plan first for my Jr. Highers because the 7-8 looks a little complicated to begin with. Another thing I love about this curriculum- it talks about donating a portion of your money to church or charity. A great habit for students to get into and it integrates perfectly when schools have charity fundraisers like "Pennies for Patients."

2nd Site: http://vcart.velocitypayment.com/fdic/product_info.php?products_id=946 This elementary school booklet is so cute!! It says for ages 5-8 and is definitely too young for my class, but I couldn't resist sharing. There are such cute visuals and lots to color. What a great way to get students to start thinking about being financially smart! This site also has financial information for young adults. One idea- having your high school students use this website to research various areas of finances and then present to the class.

I hope you enjoy these and seriously consider helping your students think about money matters! What better way to make math practical and useful?