Paying Yourself First
Your students will discover the benefits of saving money and collecting interest. During class activities, they will
- Calculate earnings from interest (Math)
- Present a case for opening a savings account (English Language Arts)
- Discuss banking during the Great Depression and today (Social Studies)
- Explain the impact of interest rates for savers and borrowers (Family and Consumer Sciences and Business)
For Educators
Delayed Gratification and Interest
Watch this video to see the power of compound interest and methods for encouraging your students to save.
Companion Video for Students
How Can You Get the Most from Your Money?
Use this video to present an explanation of compound interest - what it is and how it works.
Classroom Activities
Earning Money by Saving Money
Guide your students in an investigation into interest rates paid by several financial institutions and calculate the future value of a hypothetical account.
Save with Me!
Instruct your students to write a persuasive speech to convince peers to save money with their bank by highlighting interest rates and how much money can be earned over different time lengths.
The Great Depression
Create a human timeline of the Great Depression and other significant economic events. Students will discuss how banking has changed since the Great Depression.
How Interest Works
Why do you earn interest on your savings? Students examine ads for savings accounts and loan products. An interactive demo shows how banks use money.