Rationale

• Instructional time is precious.
• Class time required is only three 45-60 minute periods.
• Students need time to process and incorporate new ideas/information.
• Lessons are divided into three parts, presented within a one-week time frame.
• Students must be able to understand information presented.
• Sixth and seventh grade students have the math knowledge for optimal learning.
• We fully support accountability and working towards shared education goals.
• The program, when complete, will integrate specific Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks skills, concepts for Mathematics, and Social Studies and may incorporate MCAS example questions.
• Finance is not the most exciting subject, but wealth is currently an “in” TV topic
• For motivation the program title is “So Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
• There are limits as to how much detail students will retain from limited class time
• Focus on attitudes and personal responsibility rather than isolated details/facts.
• For learning to occur, students must be engaged and personally invested in the material
• they need to be able to relate the subject to their own lives.
• Repetition is a key learning tool and most of the subjects in this second level curriculum are repeated from the first level curriculum, but enhanced with more mature content

In contrast to the first level curriculum which is all positive, in the second level curriculum we move to presenting an issue and offering a solution. That theme of issue / solution is repeated with students being shown how the key principals of Personal Responsibility, Deferred Gratification and Financial Empowerment can assist them in finding financial security, pride, respect and the opportunity to contribute to the Greater Good. 

Technique

Since the inception of this program, multiple communication tools, including handouts, props PowerPoint presentations, role modeling, costumes, and an interactive lecture format have been used to convey information to the students.

A second, and more difficult to replicate technique, is excitement and enthusiasm. There are many resources that provide excellent financial information and techniques, but we need to call the students to ACTION. What we call “Inspiration for Engagement” is more than personal empowerment; it is creating excitement and inspiring students to become engaged in the world of the American Enterprise.

An additional key feature of the program is that an individual from outside the normal school environment, a successful financial professional, presents the class, and can help make the connection between the material learned in school and its application in "the real world" outside of the classroom.

Larry Lynch, Executive Director
Larry@KidsFutureUSA.org
508-842-5721

LESSON ONE: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Guarantee: Millionaire by the time you retire if you listen and follow "the plan" Some will…some won’t, the choices are yours, be smart…make good/responsible choices!
• Graph reading
• The Issue:The challenge of funding a long, long retirement, so long you can not save enough to pay for it 
• The Solution: The Millionaire Program
• Money comes from profits; work and jobs are Good and more than just money
• Review of Credit Debt and Interest. A key presentation identifies one student as having good credit
• Fame is not the same as income and has substantial limitations
• Reinforcement of the importance of understanding math and taking personal responsibility.

LESSON TWO: DEFERRED GRATIFICATION

• Review: Work, Profit (interest) Credit & Debt, Get a Job, Get a better job
• Discussion on the Value of Money  [Both the value as a part of one’s life and happiness, and the obvious limitations.  Where happiness comes from.]
• Define Savings, Budgets, Interest (you can pay interest or collect interest, most of us will do both)
• Deferred Gratification is the key to future wealth. 

USING FINANCIAL TOOLS TO BUY CARS ACTIVITY:  The student identified in lesson 1 with good credit is permitted to use her (sorry, while not politically correct, it is almost always a girl) good credit to borrow money to buy a car, she uses a budget, pays interests at first but then saves.  She gets a series of cars, getting better cars but paying less to the bank and earning more interest on her savings.

Review key points above.

LESSON THREE: IMPORTANCE OF MATH

• Review: Work, Profit (interest) Credit & Debt
• Get a Job, get a better job with education
• Savings, Budgets, Interest and Deferred Gratification
• Success and Accountability
• Issue: you can’t save enough.     Solution: Compound Interest and Investing
• Compound Interest Activity
• Issue: Taxes       Solution: Roth IRA   

COMPOUND INTEREST ACTIVITY: The importance and stability of the Laws of Math are stressed. A student is picked to act out our example.  He/she goes through motions of "work".  Rest of class follows the spreadsheet in the Resource Packet as s/he works and saves.  Every time s/he saves $1000, another student is added to the “workers with a budget”.  Eventually most of students will be standing/working while the initial example student is sitting.  Point out that the student is sitting and they (acting as his invested savings) are all working for him, making much more money for him than he can make alone. Key points are the emotional issues of saving and the rewards.