Personal Finance Project Bundle

Supplement your Personal Finance curriculum with these 9 engaging activities/projects! This bundle is perfect for your high school students and will encourage them to utilize research skills, real-world application, and critical thinking skill. These materials are designed to promote personalized learning, student-to-student communication, and project-based learning.

This bundle includes: Digital Personal Finance Life Events & Stages Project, Purchasing an Automobile: Financing, Research, and Negotiation, Personal Finance Blog Article Project, Checking Account Simulation, Money Habits of a Generation, Consumerism Scams Research Project, Buying Your First Home (Renting vs. Owning and 15 vs. 30 Year Mortgages), Creating an Investment Portfolio for a Client, and Consumer Protection Agencies Project. 

Save over 20% by purchasing this bundle or pick and choose your favorites by purchasing each product individually. Simply click the links below to view each individual product.

***If you have previously purchased products from the Business Girl store please carefully review what is included so that you do not purchase duplicate materials. This bundle contains various file types. Please make sure these file types match your needs before purchasing.

Digital Personal Finance Life Events & Stages Project: In this project students will explore how key personal financial events fit into a variety of life stages. This two-part project is digital and can fit seamlessly into your Personal Finance curriculum as a stand-alone lesson. Students will use the list provided to complete an article review on a personal financial event within the lifespan. Next, students will create comprehensive lists for the financial events they could encounter in each stage of life.

This article review section of the project includes a list of topics, a slide for the basics about the article (topic, article title, author, publisher, and source link), a slide for important details and summary of the article, and a slide with 3 article review reflection questions.

The key life events for each stage section of the project includes a slide for each of the following age groups: 18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, and +66. There are also 2 reflection questions for this section.

In addition to the digital project, this product includes a discussion guide for the key life events activity and a grading rubric that covers the article review and key life event activity, based on 35 points. I like to use the resource on the first day of the course, but it could also work as a capstone project or into a broad spectrum of units when you need a no-prep lesson.

Included in this product:

• Brief Teacher Guide (PDF)
• Personal Finance Life Events & Stages Project (in Google Slides™)
• Personal Finance Life Events & Stages Discussion Guide (PDF)
• Personal Finance Life Events & Stages Project Grading Rubric (PDF and in Google Sheets™ )

Note to Teacher:

This project is a digital project in Google Slides™ and allows students to add text in the text boxes or tables provided. Content requirements are provided as the background for each slide. For this reason, you cannot edit the content requirements.

Purchasing an Automobile: Financing, Research, and Negotiation: Apply real-life scenarios to course concepts with this purchasing an automobile activity. Students will select a scenario (provided), define key financing options, research an automobile for purchase, explain the rationale for the purchase, and write a script for a negotiation to purchase the vehicle.

Included in the product:

--List of 10 different scenarios (PDF)

--Worksheet packet with 18 questions (PDF)

I usually have students work with a partner to complete this project. Students will draw a scenario from a cup and use the scenario to complete the activity. I use this activity with my Personal Finance students to tie together consumerism, credit, and negotiating. 

Personal Finance Blog Article Project: Blogs have taken off in the last few years. Make writing relevant to students by introducing the blog article format. In this activity students will be given or select a Personal Finance topic to write a blog article about. A list of 30 suggestions are provided, but you could easily incorporate this activity into any topic you are currently covering in class. This versatile activity is the perfect sub plan because it can be thrown in with any topic you are covering or it could also be easily adapted to create a semester long project where students write a blog entry for each unit.

Included in this file:

-Brief Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation with activity instructions

-Microsoft Word Rubric (2 rubrics to a page) based on 50 points

-Microsoft Word Suggested Topic List with 30 topics

This activity is easy to implement and can be used for any topic in the Personal Finance curriculum. Based on your discretion students can work individually or with a partner to complete this project.

Checking Account Simulation: Teach high school students how to write a check and record transactions in a check register. In this activity students will create a business name, write 10 transactions for a checking account, and design 4 checks. This activity it perfect for teaching banking and depository institutions. 

I like to do this project in groups of 2. I use this activity in my Personal Finance course, but it could be used in any banking, finance, or business related class. This activity requires students to think about how a transaction would impact their account and represent it on a check register. Encourage students to be creative to design the checks for a business.

The first page contains instructions and rubric, page 2 is a check register for students to record their transactions, and page 3 and 4 each contain four rectangles for students to design checks. I like to allow my students to split up the pages so they can work simultaneously on the project. The file is a PDF to allow easy printing. The rubric is based on 50 points.

Money Habits of a Generation: Get your students researching with this fun, interactive way to display financial research findings! In this project students will research the background of a generation, key money habits of their choosing (to promote personalized learning), draw conclusions from their research and create a product to display their findings.

Possible topics for financial habits for students to research may include, but are not limited to: savings rates, retirement plans, work ethic, consumer values, investment rates, career opportunities, educational requirements, credit view, housing views, shopping habits, financial apps, and money management.

Included:

• Generational Financial Habits Guided Project in Google Slides™
• Generational Financial Habits Guided Project Grading Rubric
• Generational Financial Habits Independent Project Instructions
• Generational Financial Habits Independent Project Grading Rubric
• Generational Financial Habits Guided & Independent Project Grading Rubrics in Google Sheets™

Instructions:

This product includes two versions of the project. The Generational Financial Habits Guided Project in Google Slides™ provides the questions/tasks within the presentation. With this version students do not have a choice for their project product; however, it may be a better choice when time is limited or you’re operating virtually. You could also use the two versions to provide differentiated materials for students within the same class.

For this project, students may work individually or with a partner based on your preference. Students will need Internet access to complete the project. For the independent project, students may select the program they use to create their product. Examples may include Google Docs, Canva, Piktochart, and Venngage. Poster board may also need to be provided.

Use the grading rubrics to assess student work. The rubrics are included in this file and in Google Sheets™. Both rubrics are based on 55 points. In Google Sheets™ you will find the guided project grading rubric on the first sheet and the independent project grading rubric on the second sheet within the same file. If you choose to use the Google Sheets™ rubrics to grade, you will need to make a new copy for each student.

Consumerism Scams Research Project: This product requires students to select a scam, research the scam, and create an infographic or write an article about the scam. This project fits well into a consumerism unit. I use this in my Personal Finance course, but this project could be used in any number of courses.

Included in this product: 

A list of scam options for students to choose from

Basic project instructions

Rubric for grading (both articles and infographics)

Brief PPT explaining infographics 

This assignment promotes personalized learning by giving students the option of which scam to research and to choose between writing a short essay (1 page) or creating an infographic in Piktochart. At the conclusion of this activity have students present their research to the class so that all students are familiar with scams and actions to take to protect themselves.

Buying Your First Home (Renting vs. Owning and 15 vs. 30 Year Mortgages): In this project students figure their purchasing power, select a house that they would like to buy, and investigate the total costs involved in purchasing that home. Students will also compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of a 15 vs. 30 year mortgage and renting vs. owning. This assignment is worth a total of 50 points and has points possible listed next to each question. An answer key is also provided with suggested answers. This project goes well with a Personal Finance, business math, or economics course.

Topics covered include:

Purchasing power

Reasons for choosing the house

Renting as an option

Expenses associated

Using a mortgage calculator to compare and contrast a 15 year vs. 30 year loan term

Analysis of 15 vs. 30 year mortgage

Analysis of renting vs. owning

Argument for or against "a mortgage is good debt"

Creating an Investment Portfolio for a Client and Investing Question Set: In this project, students will take on the role of a financial planner and create an investment portfolio for a client. Students will examine the risk level, time frame, and financial goals for a client to recommend investment types. This project is provided as a PDF and in Google Slides™ to accommodate your needs.

Included in this product:

• PRINT Investing Portfolio Project (PDF)
• DIGITAL Investing Portfolio Project (in Google Slides™)
• Blank Template (in Google Slides™ to use if you wish to make a change to a question or task)
• Teacher Guide with instructions, client scenarios (includes age and amount of money), key with suggested answers, grading rubric

This project is the perfect formative assessment to apply investment type knowledge. This activity can be easily integrated into your investing unit and goes well with a Personal Finance or Banking and Finance course.

The actual Google Slides™ presentation with the project does NOT allow you to edit each slide individually. You can use the blank template provided to change or substitute a clue to customize the activity for your classroom. The project appears as the background of the slide and text boxes have been added for students to type in their responses.

Consumer Protection Agency Project: In this project students will create a digital or paper poster with detailed content on a consumer protection agency. Students will select a consumer protection agency (sample list of 6 provided) on which to conduct research. Students will identify the purpose of the consumer protection agency, list products, services, topics, or materials covered/ offered by the agency, explain how the agency helps consumers, describe reasons you might contact this agency, and recent news involving the agency.

This product includes:

• Consumer Protection Agencies Project Instructions (in Google Slides™)
• Consumer Protection Agencies Project Grading Rubric (included in this PDF, Google Slides™, and in Google Sheets™)
• Portrait and Landscape Digital Poster Templates (in Google Slides™)
• Consumer Protection Agencies Sharing Form (included in this PDF and in Google Slides™)

The Consumer Protection Agencies Project Instructions are editable. The instructions provide project requirements and the grading rubric. For the Sharing Form in Google Slides™ the text is placed as an image in the background to prevent students from editing requirements, and is therefore not editable. The grading rubric is provided in PDF for easy printing and Google Sheets™ for digital grading to give you flexibility.

Teacher Instructions:

• Post or review the Consumer Protection Agencies Project Instructions for students. You may wish to alter the list before sharing with students. Optionally, you may wish to assign agencies instead of allowing students to choose.
• Based on your preference, assign partners for this project.
• Students will need Internet access and poster board, easel paper, Google Slides™ or Canva ™ to complete the project. If students use Google Slides™, a landscape and portrait template are provided in this product for you to share with students. Your LMS may automatically create copies for students. If not, provide your students with a force copy link of the templates. If students use Canva, they will need to create an account and then they can select a template from the gallery to use. You may wish to remind them not to select any paid features.
• A grading rubric has been provided in this file, the instructions in Google Slides™, and in Google Sheets™ for you to use to assess student work.
• Print or post the Sharing Form and then have students share their findings with the class. As others present, students should complete the Sharing Form. You may wish to duplicate or delete pages/ slides based on the number of presentations you will have in your class prior to sharing the file with students. Close the project by having students complete the Reflection section.
• An optional project extension activity is also included in the Consumer Protection Agencies Project Instructions.

Thanks for checking out this bundle, you may also like:

Investment and Retirement Unit Bundle

Personal Finance Course Bundle

Personal Finance Portfolio Semester Project

Career Unit Bundle

Personal Finance Activity Bundle