Teaching Money Skills Classified by Grade Level:
Eleventh Grade and Twelfth Grade

Back to Basic Economics Lessons

Eleventh and twelve grade students are familiar with choosing electives and by this age, have a better understanding of what interests them and what they want to learn more about.  By this grade, many students have completed their required math courses for college admissions and can focus on the courses they plan to use toward their future careers.  Economics (see Basic Economics Lessons) , advertising, business management (see Business and Careers), psychology, and minorities are all courses that can help students gain more understanding of the business world.

By now, students know the teachers who are in charge of the business related courses and can decide who and when to learn from.  As students begin the second level of economic courses, they find teachers giving them more independence in class and using exercises where they have to manage money and keep financial records.  Students learn how to budget and how to use the concepts of supply and demand, as well as if the government makes an announcement of increasing interest rates, what happens to the overall economy.

Psychology and advertising play a large role in learning about finances.  Students who never looked at advertising as a way for companies to make money now see commercials and bill boards in a different light.  They learn concepts from certain colors, smells, music, and voice tones determine if a consumer will buy an item or not.  The business world uses the psychology of the mind in advertising to help the economy with financial issues.

Students are shocked when this concept is first learned.  They assumed walking into a mall and going to their favorite store was all decided by them.  What they begin to learn in their finance classes is they probably saw a commercial or read a magazine and saw an advertisement with the "newest color for fall" preview and subconsciously it was determined in their mind the need to get the item.

Some long-term activities teachers will give students are to make up a business plan from the concept, to the advertising, marketing, and opening and keep track of all the cost and time involved.  Sometimes this is done as a full semester group project.  Another small project is balancing a check book (see bank checking lessons).  This was done at the younger grades but this time the students will do everything themselves, no pre-made charts this time!

Teachers will try and arrange financial speakers and field trips to brokerage homes or banks to allow students to ask questions to people who presently work in the field of finances.

By allowing students to choose these courses at a young age, helps with the decisions of which career path they may pursue at college within the financial field.  This also helps the students to decide which part of finances they would like to be involved with, the economical or the marketing of products.  Teenagers know what interests them and money is a strong driving force.  The more information students learn, the better they feel about their future decisions.

Back to Basic Economics Worksheets and Lessons

 

To teach and learn money skills, personal finance, money management, business, careers, and life skills please go to the Money Instructor home page.