TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Apr 23, 2023
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Spent - Urban Ministries of Durham
Grades
8 to 12
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Spent is an online game that teaches the challenges of poverty and the difficult choices facing low-income earners. Throughout the game, players make choices related to income options...more
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Spent is an online game that teaches the challenges of poverty and the difficult choices facing low-income earners. Throughout the game, players make choices related to income options and spending needs. Choices include decisions that affect the health, education, and living conditions of the player's family. The game ends when you run out of money or reach the end of the month.
tag(s): character education (76), difficult conversations (58), empathy (26), financial literacy (92)
In the Classroom
Include Spent as a learning resource to use with your lessons on empathy or difficult conversations. Ask students to spend time playing Spent as a way to explore how choices they make affect their living situation. Enhance learning by asking students to take a screen recording of a difficult choice they make while playing Spent and discuss their thinking behind the option chosen. Use ScreenPal (was Screencast-o-matic), reviewed here, to record and share student's recordings. If you teach older high school students, use Spent to introduce a research unit into understanding poverty in your community. Have students share their learning using multimedia presentation tools like Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, or Visme, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Education for the Real World - EVERFI
Grades
2 to 12
3 Favorites
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EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include financial education, STEM and career readiness, social and emotional...more
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EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include financial education, STEM and career readiness, social and emotional learning, remote learning, summer learning, and more. Select any topic to view the courses offered with a summary and grade-level suggestions. Each unit is correlated to Common Core Standards and includes features such as videos, games, digital lessons, and teacher guides. Use the teacher dashboard to create classes and enroll students after completing the free registration information. Once registered, use the site's features to assign topics that are available for both online and offline learning.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (157), financial literacy (92), literacy (107), mental health (34), social and emotional learning (81), STEM (262), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Discover the many free resources on this site to provide individual lessons or complete learning units for your students. As students complete assignments, use the many offerings found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to enhance learning through creating timelines, completing graphic organizers, and more. For activities that include new vocabulary, use a digital game creation site such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to review and practice new words and terms. Have students show what they know upon completion of any of the activities using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, to create a collage, poster, flyer, or multimedia presentation sharing their knowledge of the subject.
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The Inflation Calculator - Morgan Friedman
Grades
5 to 12
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Compare the adjusted amount of money from its value in any year, from 1800-2022, using The Inflation Calculator. Enter the dollar amount, the initial year, and the final year for ...more
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Compare the adjusted amount of money from its value in any year, from 1800-2022, using The Inflation Calculator. Enter the dollar amount, the initial year, and the final year for comparison to view the adjusted amount. For example, enter $100 in the year 1900 and compare to the 2017 value to find that the same item would cost $2988.86 in 2017!
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tag(s): 1900s (73), 20th century (59), calculators (37), financial literacy (92)
In the Classroom
Although this calculator seems relatively simple, use it for many purposes in your classroom. When reading stories set in different times throughout the 1900's use the calculator to compare costs in the story to 21st-century costs. Use the calculator for student writing projects set in the past to add authenticity to information included. Take student learning a step further and ask them to create an infographic comparing prices, technology, populations, workforce, or other important indicators of two different eras. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, will modify student learning and is a very easy to use tool for creating infographics using their many available templates. Challenge math or economics students to enhance learning and create an inflation calculator based on different sets of statistics using Microsoft Excel or Google Forms. Work together with a history teacher to include those statistics on a history timeline with a tool like Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Budgeting for the Future - Committe for a Responsible Federal Budget
Grades
8 to 12
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Use this interactive tool to compare and contrast different plan options for reduction of the federal deficit. Choose from the various plans offered on the site, then select categories...more
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Use this interactive tool to compare and contrast different plan options for reduction of the federal deficit. Choose from the various plans offered on the site, then select categories to view proposals. Compare up to three plans at one time. Although this interactive compares plans from 2021, the information is still valuable for those interested in understanding the impact of policies on any budget.
tag(s): financial literacy (92), politics (112)
In the Classroom
Share this interactive with students to increase understanding of different budget options. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast options found in different plans.
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The Fiscal Ship - Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at Brookings
Grades
8 to 12
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Your challenge in this game is to manage the federal budget and keep it on a sustainable course. Choose from a menu of tax and spending options to reduce debt ...more
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Your challenge in this game is to manage the federal budget and keep it on a sustainable course. Choose from a menu of tax and spending options to reduce debt levels over the next 25 years. The real challenge to winning is to manage the budget while maintaining your values and priorities. Scroll down the page to download the game guide, and click the link to start the game.
tag(s): branches of government (62), financial literacy (92), game based learning (171)
In the Classroom
Share this game with students as part of your study of government and economics. Choose YouTube video explanations of taxes and entitlements to help students understand these topics, then use a tool like Edpuzzle, reviewed here, to add questions and comments to the videos to increase student understanding. Ask students to explore one of the topics found during the game and create an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin & Blockchain Technology - Lisa and bitcoinfy.net
Grades
8 to 12
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This infographic provides background and facts defining bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Scroll through to learn about the different types of cryptocurrencies, their uses, and obtaining...more
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This infographic provides background and facts defining bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Scroll through to learn about the different types of cryptocurrencies, their uses, and obtaining and using bitcoin. In addition to the infographic, the article on this page shares additional information supporting the infographic details.
tag(s): financial literacy (92), money (119)
In the Classroom
Share this infographic with students as part of finance and economics lessons. Include this infographic and others using a bookmarking tool like Wakelet, reviewed here. Have students find and share additional websites explaining cryptocurrencies to your Wakelet. Ask students to create explainer videos describing different cryptocurrencies using Clipchamp, reviewed here. As an ongoing project, have groups of students create a weekly or monthly podcast using Podcast Generator, reviewed here, to discuss the latest economic news including cryptocurrencies.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Economic Games - Nicolas Gruyer and Nicolas Toublanc
Grades
8 to 12
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Economic Games offers over 40 multiplayer games and 14 simulations to learn economic concepts. Game topics vary from impacts of patents on research and development to an introduction...more
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Economic Games offers over 40 multiplayer games and 14 simulations to learn economic concepts. Game topics vary from impacts of patents on research and development to an introduction to the stock market. All games include complete details and an introductory demo. To create multiplayer games the instructor selects the number of players and chooses the Get Logins link. Student logins and passwords display in a popup; players use this information to access and begin play. Be sure to view the How to Play link for full information on starting and sharing games. The site was created in France, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English. Currency is in Euros, not dollars.
tag(s): business (47), financial literacy (92), game based learning (171), simulations (8), stock market (9)
In the Classroom
Include games from this site as part of economics and financial literacy lessons. This site is perfect for use with gifted students for independent study with peers. After completing games, ask students to use a digital storytelling tool like Book Creator, reviewed here, to explain complex financial concepts in an easy to understand manner.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dollar Street - Gapminder
Grades
3 to 12
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Think of everyone in the world living on one street; the poorest people are on the left and the rich on the right. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle. ...more
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Think of everyone in the world living on one street; the poorest people are on the left and the rich on the right. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle. That is the setup of Dollar Street, a searchable, visual database sharing income features from 264 families from around 50 countries and including over 30,000 photos. Take a quick tour to learn how to use the interactive and understand financial guidelines used based on income per month. Use the drop-down boxes to select specific criteria including the number of beds, homes, or family snapshots. An additional dropbox allows you to select specific countries to view.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (157), cultures (132), family (53), financial literacy (92), globe (12), homes (4)
In the Classroom
Most teachers will want to bookmark this site to use in many different situations. Share Dollar Street on your interactive whiteboard to compare and contrast your community and living situation to those around the world. When reading books mentioning other countries, look up financial information using this site to help students understand typical living situations. Use Dollar Street as a starting point for research projects. Ask students to create a virtual field trip to their chosen location using Google My Maps, reviewed here. Google My Maps includes tools for labeling stops on a map as participants follow locations created.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids - Discovery Education and Jackson Charitable Foundation
Grades
K to 6
3 Favorites
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Cha-Ching is a financial literacy program developed for use with students in grades K-6. Animated videos provide lessons on saving and earning money, entrepreneurship, and charity....more
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Cha-Ching is a financial literacy program developed for use with students in grades K-6. Animated videos provide lessons on saving and earning money, entrepreneurship, and charity. Each lesson includes classroom activity guides and several also include family activity guides. Educator guides provide complete details for teaching with the videos and correlation to financial literacy and social studies standards.
tag(s): financial literacy (92), money (119)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free lessons and videos to teach financial literacy in your classroom. Collect student ideas on how to save and earn money onto an online bulletin board like lino, reviewed here. lino offers the ability to include images, videos, and comments. Have students take pictures of different ways financial situations were faced over the course of a month then create a collage for your class using an image editor like Photo Joiner Collage Maker, reviewed here. Extend learning by challenging students to use their imagination to create a financial adventure game using Scratch, reviewed here. Scratch is an easy to use program that brings adventures to life through interactive stories, animations, and games.
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Investing for Beginners - Fidelity Investments
Grades
8 to 12
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Investing for Beginners is a YouTube playlist created by Fidelity Investments. The playlist includes 17 videos covering topics such as Investing for Beginners and How to Define Your...more
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Investing for Beginners is a YouTube playlist created by Fidelity Investments. The playlist includes 17 videos covering topics such as Investing for Beginners and How to Define Your Investing Personality. Videos all run less than five minutes in length, making them perfect for quick introductions to financial topics. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): financial literacy (92), investing (5), stock market (9)
In the Classroom
Share videos with your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector. You may be interested in continuing the investment study by having students set up their own practice portfolio for a no-risk option to dabble in stock trading and buying. Use a program like Wall Street Survivor, reviewed here, to do this. Extend student learning by having cooperative learning groups research other aspects of economics or business, then challenge the groups to create videos using FlexClip, reviewed here, and share them on a site such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Banzai! - Banzai.com
Grades
2 to 12
5 Favorites
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Teach real-world financial literacy using Banzai! Learn to prioritize spending by using simulations, interactives, and "choose-your-own-adventure" style situations. There are three...more
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Teach real-world financial literacy using Banzai! Learn to prioritize spending by using simulations, interactives, and "choose-your-own-adventure" style situations. There are three levels: Banzai Jr (grades 3-7), Banzai Teen (grades 6-12), and Banzai Plus (grades 9-12) all available in PDF format. Start the course with an assesment (pre-test) to determine your financial literacy. Then engage in real-life interactive situations covering balancing a budget and paying your cell phone bill, to paying for unexpected bills like car trouble. Student accounts receive free access to Banzai for life, allowing the opportunity to go back and review lessons at any time. After creating a teacher account, request the opportunity to receive the Life Scenario booklets for your class at no charge (this is dependent on funding from local financial organizations). If not available, print the booklets using the PDF download.
tag(s): financial literacy (92), game based learning (171)
In the Classroom
Banzai is an excellent resource for any financial literacy course, or for those who don't have financial literacy classes as an option for your school. Create your classroom account, and then provide students with a class code to sign in to their account. Create as many classes as you like then have students follow the curriculum including pre-tests, simulations of life scenarios, interactives, and post-tests. The Banzai tool grades it all. Set up student accounts and assign activities based on your state standards. Be sure to share Banzai on your class website for students to explore at home. Enhance student learning goals by having students reflect on their learning using a blogging tool such as Penzu, reviewed here. Banzai would work well for blended or remote learning since it works on any internet connected device, including tablets and smartphones at home.
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Financial Literacy Resources - KQED Education
Grades
9 to 12
4 Favorites
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Financial Literacy Resources offers financial lessons targeted for English language learners. However, this is an excellent unit for any student to learn about money management! Topics...more
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Financial Literacy Resources offers financial lessons targeted for English language learners. However, this is an excellent unit for any student to learn about money management! Topics include managing money, credit, debt, banking, and more delivered through six lesson plans. Each lesson features new media tools such as a budget builder calculator and an online writing interactive. Click on any lesson plan to view in PDF format for easy printing. Note: at the time of this review several of the interactive activities didn't work; however, the lessons and other information available on the site make this worth considering for use during your financial literacy lessons.
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tag(s): financial literacy (92)
In the Classroom
Discover the many ready-to-go, free resources that go with these free lesson plans for use with all students, not just English language learners. Include this site on your class web page for students and parents to access as a reference when discussing financial issues at home. Use the calculators found on the site as part of any financial unit or as a math problem solving lesson. Oh, and by-the-way, students will also practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mint - Intuit
Grades
9 to 12
3 Favorites
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Mint is a free money management site featuring several tools for budgeting and tracking finances. Connect to virtually any financial organization to receive real-time updates from bank...more
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Mint is a free money management site featuring several tools for budgeting and tracking finances. Connect to virtually any financial organization to receive real-time updates from bank accounts, credit cards, and investments. Mint analyzes your financial information and provides tips for savings and account management.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), financial literacy (92), money (119)
In the Classroom
Share Mint with students as part of any consumer education lesson or course as a resource for managing their money. Even if you don't sign up for mint, take advantage of their Tools and Tips section to find money management articles for many different financial situations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WeTheEconomy - 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss - Vulcan Productions/Cinelan
Grades
9 to 12
10 Favorites
0 Comments
Build your understanding of the U.S. economy through a creative, well-organized collection of short films (5-8 min) designed to explain 20 key concepts that any informed citizen needs...more
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Build your understanding of the U.S. economy through a creative, well-organized collection of short films (5-8 min) designed to explain 20 key concepts that any informed citizen needs to understand. Unlike many informational films, these are quite engaging. The collection is divided into five chapters on Economy, Money, The Role of Government, Globalization, and Inequality. All of us can better understand how our economy works from watching these films and exploring some of the follow-up discussion suggestions, even among adults. Teachers can obtain a link to free, downloadable lesson materials, activities, and extensions by filling out a form with their email address. (The email comes within a few minutes, but watch your SPAM filter. Requesting the link via a home email may be better to avoid school filtering!) The teacher materials include correlations to CCSS standards in ELA, Math, and Writing. The content of the films and lessons supports many major concepts of economics and government included in state and other standards. App versions are available for both iOS and Android.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), financial literacy (92), money (119), supply and demand (4)
In the Classroom
Sign up to download the support materials and plan one or several lessons to demystify the economy as part of a civics/government class or an economics course. Transform the technology use in your class by assigning students to watch films in small groups and create digital booklets explaining the key concepts to the class using a multimedia tool such as Calameo, reviewed here. As economic issues come up in current events or during an election cycle, use these films to explain the underlying issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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