The Virginia Council on Economic Education 2015-2016 Featured Books: Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina, Helen’s Big World: Life of Helen Keller by Doreen Rappaport, and Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell with discussion questions and lesson plans. These books are used to teach about savings,savings goals, opportunity cost, productive resources, and human capital.

In the story, Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, Alexander receives a dollar from his grandparents that he plans to save, but he spends it all, a little at a time. In this lesson, students count by 2s to fill a container with 100 pennies. They are asked whether 100 pennies is the same amount of money as one dollar. They listen to the story, and as Alexander spends his money, students come up and remove the correct number of pennies from a container. At the end of the story, students are again asked if 100 pennies is the same amount of money as one dollar. Students discuss the choices that Alexander made and give advice on how he could save his money to reach his goal of buying a walkie-talkie.

This lesson is a simulation of opening a bank. Students are assigned various roles to play within the banking business. Students learn about the role banks play in a market economy.

Budgeting is the most basic and most important tool in anyone’s financial toolbox. With this resource, students are given the hands-on opportunity to create budgets for fictional “Regan” during her sophomore year in nursing school, and as a recent graduate with an apartment and a new car. Using either excel or Google docs, the students download our budgeting tool with space for their own budget, as well as the examples they created by establishing Regan’s budget.

NOTE: This resource is set up differently than previous modules. The students have to complete the entire module before you will see progress in the progress bar. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

Capital markets connect businesses seeking funds with individuals to earn income by investing in stocks and bonds. Capital markets include the stock market and the bond market. In this module, students will learn how capital markets help keep the economy moving and provide opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors to achieve their goals. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

In this lesson, students play a game to test their current level of financial knowledge. Students explain the importance of financial literacy and explain the importance of taking responsibility for personal financial decisions. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

In this lesson, students play a game to test their current level of financial knowledge. Students explain the importance of financial literacy and explain the importance of taking responsibility for personal financial decisions. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

In this lesson, students learn the difference between gross and net pay, evaluate their financial literacy skills, explain the importance of financial literacy and explain the importance of taking responsibility for personal financial decisions This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

In this lesson, students learn the difference between gross and net pay, evaluate their financial literacy skills, explain the importance of financial literacy and explain the importance of taking responsibility for personal financial decisions This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

This video segment adapted from Last Oasis highlights the impact of a variety of water conservation efforts including installing low-flow toilets and planting grass that does not require a lot of water.

A comprehensive site about saving money, with information on history of credit unions, money words, games about money, and more. Enter one of the three areas, each targeting a different age level.

Read about how the Denver Zoo helps to protect animals around the world. Includes audio narration in English, Chinese, Spanish, Setswana, and Turkish, with text in English.

A collection of financial literacy lesson plans from EconEdLink for grades K-12. The search results can be further refined by National Standards in Economics, National Standards in Financial Literacy, Common Core ELA, and Common Core Math standards, instructional strategy (e.g. direct instruction, interactive lesson), and personal finance concept.

Young children are not likely to think past their piggy banks when it comes to safe places to set money aside for those special items. In this short module, your students will learn that a bank account offers security and a return on their savings. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

Explore Economics is a series of short videos that introduce elementary-age children to economic concepts.

A great resource from the FDIC for "becoming an informed banking consumer." Learn all about consumer protection and gain important and useful facts about such topics as phishing scams, identity theft, consumer rights, new cheque clearing laws, internet banking, loans, and mortgages.

The Minneapolis branch of the Federal Reserve Bank system. It has a wealth of financial information and data, information about the banking system and the state of the economy, and financial education resources.

This page from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond provides access to information in the following categories: General Information, Monetary Policy & Business Conditions, Financial Services, Banking, Community Affairs, Consumer Information, Economic Research, and President's Speeches about the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

This page from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco provides information in the following categories: Inside the FRBSF, Economic Research, Financial Services, Economics Education, Community Affairs, Banking and Finance in the West, Treasury Securities or Savings Bonds, and Central Banking.

Meet Oscar Ostrich. In this fable, Oscar Ostrich is taught to think about his future needs and set financial goals to become more confident about his financial future. The story is centered on the moral: "If you set and reach financial goals, your needs will be met in the future."