You are here: Special Ed > Mrs. Debbie Griffin > Personal Financial Management -Period 2
Course: Personal Financial Management
Instructor: Mrs. Griffin Paraprofessional: Mrs. Giordano
Class Objectives: To review and strengthen basic computational skills
To apply computational skills to real-life situations
To expand knowledge of pay checks, including types of pay, gross pay, net pay, deductions and taxes
To understand aspects of a personal budget
To develop personal budgetary needs in the areas of:
housing, transportation, clothing, entertainment, home
furnishings, etc.
To understand insurances and their purpose
To develop knowledge of personal loans
To develop knowledge of credit cards
To maintain and reconcile a personal checkbook
To determine ways to balance a personal budget based on income
Applicable School wide 21st Century Skills
Creativity & Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and
develop innovative products and processes using technology
Communication & Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to
communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual
learning and contribute to the learning of others.
Research & Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, & Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed
decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources
Information Literacy: Students access information efficiently and effectively, and evaluate
information critically and competently.
Initiative and Self-Direction: Students set goals with tangible and intangible success
criteria as well as expand one’s own learning to gain expertise.
Course Outline:
Computational Skills: Basic math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) are reviewed. They are then applied to real-life situations such as bank slips, receipts, purchases, etc. There is also a focus on fractions, percentages and decimals in our lives.
Charts and Tables: Being able to read charts and tables around us, from subway schedules to IRS forms. Students will also learn to collect data and create charts and tables using excel. This simulates many situations in the business world.
Problem Solving: Using the basic skills that are reviewed, students will focus on applying them to problems that may occur in the life of an adult.
Gross Income: The money that is earned on a job is determined many ways. Activities will expose students to hourly pay, overtime, piecework, salary, commission and using a time card.
Net Income: The total amount of money earned is changed based on many deductions. The class covers federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare as well as insurances.
Personal Budgets: Students use several types of technology and media to research and gather information about all aspects of housing, transportation, clothing, food, entertainment, vacation and health care budgets. A monthly budget is created to account for each area.
Banking: There will be a focus on writing checks and filling out deposit slips correctly. Reconciliation of the account and the bank statement will be completed. Students will complete a six-month simulation in which they pay for all personal bills and maintain their check book. Information is provided on savings and how credit cards work.
Class Policies and Expectations:
1. All students will comply with the Northwestern Regional High School attendance and tardy policies as outlined in the student manual.
2. You will be responsible for providing a three-ring binder, which will be kept in the classroom and used daily. Two sections will be labeled:
Classwork/HW Quiz/Test/Project
3. Work must be handed in on time. Any class work or homework missed due to absence
must be completed and handed in within a week of the absence. It is the student’s
responsibility to request missed work from the instructor.
4. Expect frequent notebook checks, which will be combined with other grading components
including homework, class work, daily warm ups, tests, projects, writing prompts and class
participation. Discussions are held daily, and it is important that you participate. It is beneficial
for you to share your knowledge with others, as well as to listen to information and questions
that your classmates will share with you.
5. Grading will be based on the following:
Class Participation 20%
Classwork/Assignments 50%
Tests/Quizzes/Projects 30%
If you need any help with class materials, I encourage you to
meet with me. I am available most days after school as well as
during my planning period (per. 3), but please try to let me
know ahead of tome to avoid conflicts with teacher meetings
and other commitments.
Core Values and Beliefs, as well as the School wide Scoring Rubrics, will be used as tools to
measure the expectations of both the class and the individual students. These items can
be found online as well as in the student planner.
